Plane Used In Search For Escapers

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30979, 8 February 1966, Page 1

Plane Used In Search For Escapers

An aircraft, with a prison officer and a police inspector as observers, was used in an unsuccessful search for two prisoners who escaped from the Paparua Prison farm about 12.20 p.m. yesterday.

The prisoners, who could be dangerous if cornered, are Harry Edmunds, aged 21, and Francis Peter Soloman, aged 25. Both are Maoris. Soloman walks with a limp.

escaped when the party began its lunch break.

The prison officer had to march the other prisoners back to the main prison block, and did not meet another prison officer until he was nearly at the main block. The message that two prisoners had escaped was received at the Christchurch Central Police Station at 1.26 p.m., and policemen, including handlers with their dogs, were on the way to the prison in less than 10 minutes.

They were still at large late last evening. They were reported to have been seen on the Templeton Farm School property at 2.10 p.m. The prison and farm school properties run along opposite sides of Newton and Church roads, about a mile and a half from the main prison buildings, and near the paddock in which the prisoners were working when they escaped. Five road blocks were manned late yesterday afternoon, three by the police and two by prison officers, after an intensive search of the 3000-acre prison property and adjoining farms. About 50 policemen and prison officers took part in the search.

The paddocks, hedges, and plantations near the potato paddock were searched first, with cars patrolling the roads in the area. The search on the ground was widened to include the whole prison property and neighbouring farms.

About 3 p.m.. Second Officer P. Bamford, of the prison staff, and Inspector R. P. Silk, of the Central Police Station, took off as observers in a Cessna aircraft of the Canterbury Aero Club. The aircraft made sweeps low over the prison farm property and the Templeton Farm School. The air search was widened and the hedges and paddocks bordering roads leading from the prison searched without success. The police fear that the escaped prisoners may try to convert a car. Car owners are requested to remove ignition keys and lock their vehicles when they are not in use. Any person seeing the escaped prisoners or having information of their whereabouts is asked to advise the nearest police station immediately.

Edmunds is sft Bin, of strong build, weighing about 14st. with black hair and brown eyes. He was convicted and sentenced in Christchurch on August 5. 1964. to four years' gaol on a charge of rape.

Soloman is sft 4in, of strong build, with dark hair and brown eyes. He has a burn scar on the right forearm.

Both were wearing white or brown moleskin trousers and grey pullovers. The two were in a party of seven working in a paddock of potatoes. The paddock has tall weeds in it and gorse hedges. The prison officer with the party noticed that the two were missing about 12.20 p.m. It is believed they