ESCAPED PRISONER CAUGHT

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 October 1949, Page 4

ESCAPED PRISONER CAUGHT

NEW PLYMOUTH, Sept. 29 (PA).— After a 34-day search, which began in Auckland and spread down the West Coast to the New Plymouth area, moved to Wellington and finally returned to New Plymouth, Thomas William James, aged 27, who .escaped in a volley of bullets from the Mount Eden prison, Auckland, was recaptured in New Plymouth at 1 o’clock this morning. His arrest outside a city pie cart followed a fierce 10-minute struggle with two constables.

James appeared in the New’ Plymouth Magistrate's Court this morning, charged with thee onversion of a car from Wellington, and on the application of the police, who said there was a possibility of further charges, he was remanded in custody until October 7.

James' arrest followed a report received at the police station early this morning that a car which had been reported missing from ' Wellington earlier this week had been seen in n city street. Constables J. Bruce and W. J. Chapman were sent to investigate and located the car. At the same lime they saw James walking toward it. He resisted vigorously, and when he appeared in Court this morning manacled to a constable, the right side of his face was market) with numerous small scratches and cuts. At. the time of his escape Jones was serving a five-year sentence for burglary and car conversion.