BID FOR FREEDOM.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15132, 29 January 1917, Page 7

BID FOR FREEDOM.

BOLD ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE PRISONERS FROM MT. EDEN. AUCKLAND, January 27. A bold, but short-lived, attempt to escape from confinement at the Mount Eden gaol was made on Friday afternoon shortly after two o’clock by two prisoners, one of whom is serving a life sentence. The two men were Albert McQueen and J. W. Roberts. McQueen is at present serving a term of 15 years’ imprisonment. Formerly he was an inmate of the Invercargill gaol, where he was serving a sentence of seven years’ imprisonment. He made a desperate attempt to. escape,, and a further term of seven years was added to his sentence. Later he was removed to the Mount Eden gaol, where he made a second nusuccessful attempt to escape, the result being thaha further term olj three years was added to his sentence.: He is rcgarded i aa a desperate character, and on each occasion when he has made 1 a bid for freedom he has severely handled the officers who arrested him.

DASH FROM A QUARRY. I Roberts fatally shot a girl in Christ- J cliurch six or seven, years ago, and was' sentenced to imprisonment for life. i Yesterday the two 'men succeeded in j getting into the quarry, where a num-j | her of other prisoners were at work.!} The lament they emerged from the j prison gate leading into the quarry they I dropped the tools with which they had 1 ] been working, and ran quickly towards f the adjacent railway line.' Without at- ] tempting to screen their movements they ’ hurried along the railway line towards! Newmarket, passing under two bridges i-i full view of the public. The alarm* J: was quickly given at the gaol, and 0113 '. small posse of warders fortunately took the same direction as the escaped men. RECAPTURE NOT RESISTED. ! The officers carefully searched the . scrub bordering the railway line, and when close to Hancock’s brewery, near Park Road, they discovered McQueen and Roberts hiding in some thick undergrowth. The men made no attempt t? resist capture, and were quickly lodg-U ' there less than 30 minutes from the tir.;: of their escape. , | The two men will be brought befor; | the Police Court to-day, to answer tl : charge of attempting to escape fro;’ j custody.