A DEFIANT PRISONER

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160724, 10 August 1920, Page 5

A DEFIANT PRISONER

IMPUDENCE AND BRAVADO, (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August !). An allegation that he had been “officially assisted” to escape from Mount Eden Gaol was made in the Supreme Court by Daniel Murray, .when he was tried before Mr .Justice .Stringer on charges of escaping from prison on January IQth, and stealing from a house clothing valued at illb. Prisoner, who was not represented by counsel, adopted an attitude of impudent bravado, and frequently had to be. rebuked by the Judge. The charges wore heard separately, and on each occasion Murray exhausted his right of challenge of jury, and he objected when the Crown ordered more than six jurymen to stand aside. An adjournment was asked by the prisoner on the ground that he wanted to subpoena the Con-troller-General of Prisons. His Honor: What do you want him for? Murray: 1 wish to know if he is in Court. His Honor: Ido not know, and if I did I should uot tell you. Murray: I wish him to give evidence that I was officially assisted to escape from gaol. His Honor: What nonsense. 1. will not grant you an adjournment on that plea. Murray: It is no nonsense. His Honor: Well, it appears to be an absurdity, and it is 1 who decide the matter. Evidence was then given as to accused making his escape by means of a rope of blankets weighted with an iron stonebreaking chisel. It was stated that the prisoner must have climbed up the rope from the courtyard in the comer where ihe sentry could uot see him, and swung over the outside wall. When he was arrested three months later, he was wearing a suit of clothes missed from a house in the vicinity of the gaol. Murray did not give evidence, but obtained leave to call a prisoner named William Brewer.

Brewer: Jam not doing a sentence. I was arrested twelve months ago, and put in gaol without a trial. A civilja-n who was an ex-warder arrested me without warrant. His Honor: What has this got to do with the case. Murray: I want to show that I was driven from Mount Eden by the treatment I got. His Honor refused to hear any more evidence fora Brewer, who was led away, shouting that he was entitled to trial under the Habeas Corpus Act. It was a British Act, and he was entitled to trial. Murray joined in, and said: ‘T am going to expose things in this Court, if I have to murder someone to do it.” When asked if he had any more evidence, Murray said apparently it was no_ good calling a witness. His Honor: Yes, if it is relevant to whether you escaped or not. Murray: “No, I will turn it up.’’ Prisoner then made a long address, in which he complained bitterly of the law relating to habitual criminals. Ho declared that he had been wrongfully declared an habitual erirninH in 1912, when he was 18 years of ago. This had “murdered” him. Ilia Honor: “For a murdered man you have been pretty lively since 1912.’’ The Judge then read out prisoner's convictions since that time. He imposed a sentence of two years’ imprisoncment, to be concurrent with two years’ hard labour. The prisoner is at present serving for theft from dwellings. He again declared him an habitual criminal.