CAREER OF LAWLESSNESS

Chronicle (Levin), 13 November 1946, Page 4

CAREER OF LAWLESSNESS

» — PRISON ESCAPEES FOR TRIAL STORY OF VISIT TO LEVIN The story of how the two young men who escax)ed from Waikune prison at National Park ou October .10, came to i Palmerston North in a stoien motor uar, abundonecl it and remained hidden in a clump of bnshes on a x"'«perty at the end of ltangitike; Street untii darkness fell, when they emerged to break ijito a garage where they stolc a brand uew motor car in which to contimie their Jawlcss career, was unfolded in the .Magistrate's Court at j'ahnerston North vesterday.

Tlie two men were Major William (Jilchrist, iorry driver, single, aged 21 years, and John Andrew llisiox)fc laboufer, single, aged; 23 years. Before .Messrs. J. T. Boswortli and G. M. lianson, J.PPs, they were charged (1) lliat on October 11, at Palmerston Nortli, they broke and entered into Jolly and ilills, Ltd., and stole a car and various articles to a total value of £"),■)() 4s 3d; (2) that on or about October 11, at Levin, they broke and entered into the shop of W. M. Clark, Ltd., in Oxford Htreet and stole a quantity oj: men 's clothing and other goods to a total value of £73 17s -9d; (3) that on October 10 at Erua they were deemed to be ineorrigible rogues within the 1 meaning of the Police Otfences Act, 1 1927, in that they escaped from lawful jcustodv in Waikune Prison Camp. 4fter ■ the presentation of evidenee for the prosecution in relation to the lirst two charges, both aecused, who were not represented by counsei, pleaded guilty and wer.e eommitted to the supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. On the third charge they were remanded 'to appear at Taumarunui on Thursday, November 14. Senior Detective O. Power represented the police. James Burt MeBride, an emplovee at Jolly and Alills, Ltd., stated that on October 11, he was the last person to leave the premises at 5.30 when the doors were securelv locked. He was t.Tie lirst to arrive the following mormng at 7.45 a.m. when he found that the

XU'emises had been entered by someone overnight. A car was missing from the showroom and various articles had disappeared from the offiee. The car and overalls had since been returned by the police, leaving the value of unreeovered pro|)ertv at £5 3s 4d. William Oray Clark, a director of the firm of W. H. Clark, Ltd., Levin, said he left the shop at 9 p.m. on October 11, when every tliing was secure. He returned to the shop on Sunday, October 13, and lie fouiid someone had broken in to the premrfxds land - the stoclcs wero strewn over the; floor. The baek door had been forced 'from the inside and Jater he found a skylight from the roof had been removed. He deseribed the property stoien from the shop. Some of the goods had been reeovered, but- a considerable quantity was still missing. Police evidenee was given by Coustable T. J. "Devonshire, who read to the Court statements made by Gilelirist and llislop to the police after their arrest at Wairoa on October 17. In their statements both deseribed their movenients in Palmerston North and admitted bvealting and entering into Jolly and A1 ills and stealing the c-ar. They had remained hidden in some bnshes at Ihe end of Kangitikei Street all day, and after dark they had broken into the garage. They had tvavelled south to T.evin to "do" a shop there and break their trail, tlie aecused were alleged to have slated. Both admitted having broken into Clark's shop where they stole clothing, other goods and some ca'sh. They had dumxied their prison garb and a clock stoien from the garage at Palmerston North over the second bridge on the highway to Foxton. They read in the papers that the police at. Wanganui were on the lookout for them so they procoeded straight to New Plymouth. While , there they changed the number qolates on the car by stealing a set from anotlier.vehicle, and sold tlie tvre and tube from the sxiare wheel of the stoien car. Later they had tlirown the rim of the wheel over a bank. They proceeder) to Gisborne and then to Wairoa in the stoien car and wero arrested in the latter place. They still had much of the_ stoien property - with them when apprehended. They had travelled over '0(1(1 miles jn the car stoien at Palmors'on North.