HACKSAW BLADE PASSED BY WOMAN

Chronicle (Levin), 18 July 1946, Page 8

HACKSAW BLADE PASSED BY WOMAN

SYDNEY, Julj 17. . The notorious gunnuin, Antonio Martha),' aged 32,-vUio may now be arnietl agai'n, today made a remarkable escape from a eell in tlie Queen's Square Court where he was being guarded. He cut through one bar of'the iron grille over a window and disappeared without being seen. Detectives believe that Martini, wlio has iigured in thieving, bashing, and black marketing, will not hesitato to shoot should anyone interfere with his bid for freedom. Before the escape, a number of women who were known associates of criminals, were at the Court and detectives suspect that one of these passed a hacksaw blade and possibly a ■ gun to Martini. He was serving a sentence of two and a-half years ' imprisonment for carrving a lirearm. An objection that he had been wrongly cliarged was uplield. in the Court of Criminal Appeal and Martini was to appear today to hear the deeision of tlie Judge. Martini and two other men wero placed in tlie eell before 10 o'clock this morning, with a policeman and two warders standing guard outside.. Fortv minutes later his absence was discovered. He would-have had 110 trouble in getting cloar as the window opens on to a tennis court. Outside Ihe window were two sets of footprints, one apparontly belonging to a woman. A hacksaw blade was later found in a , lavatory cistern in the room. Detectives believe that, fearing a tong goal tenn, Martini plans to leave tlie .country aidect by a substantial sum of nionev which tliey are sure he concealod somewhere. Earlier this vear he figured in a*n attempt to cut a way out of a Darlinghurst eell, for which ojTence lin had still to appear before the Court.