INGENIOUS PRISONER

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XVII, Issue 5883, 10 April 1920, Page 3

INGENIOUS PRISONER

PREPARATIONS FOR ESCAPE FROM MOUNT EDEN GAOL. HOME-MADE ROPE. (Special to the Daily Telegraph.) AUUKLATTO. tliis Qay. Preparations made by a, long-sCntenco prisoner named Frederick Marshall to escape from Mt. Eden Gaol were revealed 'ha an inquiry conducted at tliaifc (institution yesterday by Mr J. W. P'oynton, S.M. The prisoner is at present serving a sentence of five years on two charges of false pretences and cmo each oi'i uttering and forgery.

The charges preferred against him yesterday were of making a rope with the intention of escaping from the prison, and of destroying prison canvas. Tho levidonco showed that, with the exception of the time spent in taking exercise in the open twice 'daily, prisoner spent all his time indoors working. Da. the cell in which he. worked there, was a quantity of oakum. This he diverted to his own use for the purpose aforementioned, making a. rope about 35 feet long, whveh he covered with canvas purlbined from another quarter of the lejitablislimejnt. This would have enabled him to scale the 18ft wall that encloses the prison, but the aptitude shown by one of the staff in detecting thalfc something was amiss led to Marshall's undoing. Noticing that prisoner was constantly going to the lavatory, this 'official's suspicions were aroused, njnd a search was made therein, with the result that the rope was located, hidden away. The cross-examination revealed a lengthy record against prisoner, both jin Australia and New Zcalauid, including a number of prison offences such as assaults on warders.

Prisoner was convicted and ordered to be put on bread acid water for 14 days. _______