A WILD ESCAPE

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14167, 18 September 1919, Page 7

A WILD ESCAPE

WOMAN CAPTURES A LUNATIC. The story of how a plucky woman captured a madman who had escaped from an asylum comes from Hillingdon, England. The lunatic, had been placed in a padded room in the local im.lrmary, and by some unexplained means climbed to the skylight, through which he clamoured, and got- to the roof. He then began to hurl slates at men working below.

While they had gone for assistance die madman, dressed only in his shirt, Jumped to the ground, picked up a chopper, and made off. Seeing a coal cart, he sprang into it, while the affrightened driver x\an as fast as his legs could carry him. The madman took the reins and drove off, flinging coal right and left. Becoming tired of this “amusement” he leaped off the cart and made for the Windsor Castle public-house, which was closed.

Smashing the door, ho entered the bar anti swept a number of glasses off the counter. The noise attracted the attention of Mrs Owen, wife of the licensee, who, going to the bar, was surprised to see a man clad only in his shirt. “What do you want?” -she asked him. “I want some clothes and all the money you have got," he replied, trying to seize her across the bar.

Airs Owen pluckily caught the man by the throat, and pushed him backwards across the room, and then tried to secure him. After a great struggle the man released himself, apparently alarmed by the appearance of officials, and with a spring jumped clean through the window.

Nothing daunted, Airs Owen dashed after him, and as he was scaling a brick wall pulled him to the -ground, and in her own words “sat on him" until assistance arrived.

Three policemen, together with infirmary officials, eventually got the man back, and he was placed in padded room. Hardly an hour had elapsed, however, when he again escaped, but he was secured before gelling out of the grounds.