CRIMINAL AT LARGE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19178, 8 December 1927, Page 15

CRIMINAL AT LARGE.

jrrAC K ON WARDER.

ATI ONAL »» re GAOL.

pgß PBBS 3 BpecU! Scr7lCe ] AtIfiKLANDj December 7. , criminal, William rr«nt (33), undergoing three , ir(l labour at Mount Eden f escaped this morning under At 2 o'clock r !nine Grant was employed in 4»P^f tv and when one of the warcl«T«shed he dealt tho unlortunate wvy blow on the back of **!*.! with a billet of tea tree, him out. When the coast clear, Grant scaled a te ffa ll and made his escape H P n S D ess. As soon as the discovery * ,S« the prison officials began a * ffl Sch in tho vicinity and the If notified, but so far thero rJn no trace of the escapee. W was sentenoed at the Supreme 2 on July 26th last at Auckland f iirflfl vears' imprisonment with labour for theft and receiving. T;. considered to be n dangerous In 1921 nfc Wellington he "jTbia escape from the # Terrace receiving six months' impnsonn a the result. At the same time una sentenced to two years' hard fur for assault and robbery and Sra six months' for theft. Ho „,ilsodeclared an habitual criminal. Cult is 33 years of age, of medium uj. fresh complexion, fair hair, and Sj eyes- At the time of his escape fußorning he was wearing the repuu® white prison pants and shirt, jippears that Grant had greater fctilfty of movement in the prison, jis behaviour had been exemplary, gjiith another prisoner he was worki,ia the bakehouse. There are three AMtdimen in the gaol, but each , considerable area to cover and Noilly pass given points at every gloar. The first indication that ujtliing was amiss was the finding of fit warder, Booth, in charge of the liog bakehouse, in a dazed condiis tod the fact that Grant lmd disijttfed. The warder is yet unable . ipre any coherent account of what 'tally occurred. All he knows is iHwhen his baok was turned he re\il a violent blow on the back of ibead. It is possible that the sir was endeavouring to frustrate font's escape when he was assaulted, til believed that Grant climbed on ki cross-wall and then reached the mi wall, where he would have a bp of about 18 feet before having his Worn.

He other prisoner who was Grant's Mpion in tho bakehouse says that fcinaw nothing of the assault on Fmier Booth or the escape, as at the S*he was lying dowp having a rest. On enquiries being made this afterM. it was ' learned that Warder Mb had not been seriously injured, * M was still feeling the effects oi (trough handling henad received.