RECAPTURED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 118, 21 May 1942, Page 8

RECAPTURED

ESCAPED PRISONER

DASH FROM HOSPITAL

Robert John Mann, aged 25, a prisoner, who escaped from the Auckland Hospital about 5 p.m. yesterday, was recaptured this morning by two detectives at Western Springs.

Mann was one of four inmates of the Auckland Prison attending a clinic at the hospital yesterday afternoon. They were in charge of a warder. After receiving permission to enter a room adjoining the clinic, Mann dashed out of the room, through a women's clinic, and disappeared through a door into the hospital grounds. All trape of him was afterwards lost, despite a search throughout the night by large numbers of uniformed and detective officers. Mann was serving a term of four years' imprisonment, imposed at the Supreme Court, Auckland, in August of last year.

At Western Springs

This morning, about 10 o'clock, Detective-Sergeants F. J. Brady and P. Kearney were patrolling Great North Road in a police car when they saw Mann walking up and down the footpath near the Western Springs pumping station. When the detectives left the car Mann ran into the grounds of the pumping station, and disappeared over a 10ft bank. Detective-Sergeant Brady, who was close behind him, leapt over the bank and sat on the escapce until Detective-Sergeant Kearney came and put the handcuffs on him. Mann was taken to the Police Station and later appeared in the Police Court.

Mann, who appeared in the dock handcuffed to a constable, was charged before Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., with escaping from lawful custody.

On the application of DetectiveSergeant Trethewey the prisoner was remanded until May 28.