ESCAPE OF THREE MAORIS

Chronicle (Levin), 15 November 1946, Page 5

ESCAPE OF THREE MAORIS

-Press Association

By Telegraph-

At L JVIjAAU, AOV. 14. Three Maori prisoners cliarged with escaping from a quarry at Auckland gaoi 011 September 19, appeared in tlie Police Court. They were Rere Ngatui, aged 20, Ben Richard Koru, aged 23. and John Rikiti,'- aged 25. All are labourers. Frank David Dent, warder, said that in "tlie afternoon of Fe.ptember 19 he was in cliarge of a partv of prison ers wlio .were working in tlie quurry. At about 3 o'clock he noticed the three accused walking past the slie-lter she-l about 50 yards away from where tlie rest of the prisoners were working. 11 i called to them to stop and c.ome back but they rau up tlie soutli-western sidc of Ihe quarry and (lisappeared over tlie boundary fence into the projierty of tlie Colonial Aniinunition Company. A jiarty of warders was organised and Kora and Rikiti wero recaptured within about 15 mihutes of the sounding of •t'lie alarnv. X'gatai. was discovered lying under a sheet of corrugate.d iron about 45 minutes later. When he was first seen running up the side of the liill, Rikiti refused to stop and did not do so until a warder threatened to slioot A M three accused pleaded guilty and were committed to the Supreme Couri' for sentence.