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Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 765, 14 March 1910, Page 5

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JUMPS THE GAOL WAU. AND ESCAPES ON A BICTCTE. (By Teleeraph..—Special Oorreroondent) ■'~.' Palmerston, March 13. Something, of a sensation was caused in Palmerston yesterday when it became known that a prisoner named Joseph Powelka, who last Monday had been committed for trial on charges of stripping a'.nmnber of houses of furniturei, and entering and breaking, had escaped from custody. It appears that he had been in the Pahnerston cells all the week pending, further charges, which were to have been heard against'him to-morrow. During the week he had complained of feeling unwell, but the gaoler had an.idea that it was a case of malingering, and kept a very sharp eye on him. Shortly, aftel midday yesterday he asked to be allowed oat in the yard, and fa this tie gaoler consented. He opened the cell door, Powelka came out, ,and the gaoler left him for a moment to call a constable. In this brief time, however, Powelka. placed a bucket upside down against.the yard wall, and jumped over it He is a very tall man, something over six feet and had no difficulty in getting over the ten-foot wall. He dropped into the right-of-way behind the premises of the TF.F.C.A., where a bicycle belonging, to Mr. Frank Kendall,: an employee of the TT.F.CLA., was standing against the fence. This Powelka commandeered, anil made such good use of his start that the police, up to the present time, have not captured him. A large number" of police immediately scoured the country in a vain endeavour to get on.to hia tracks.' ■■:..■ Powelka's father lives in the KimboV ton district, and his wife resides at Ashhurst, and it was.thought that he would make for one of these places.- As it hap. pened, this 6urmise proved correct, and a little after midnight last night Mr. Ross, storekeeper, was aroused from bed by a man, and from the description given by Mr. Boss; he could have been no other than Powelka. The man bought some biscuits and lemonado, for which he tendered : a one. pound ■ note ; in payment, 1 60 that he has made a rise • somewhere. ■ Hβ also borrowed some carbide from Mr. Ross to replenish a large acetylene bicycle, lamp. There was neither bracket nor lamp on Mr. Kendall's bicycle, which Powelka stole, and Mr. Ross noticed that the lamp which Powelka had was tied on with string/- -When he got away from ::the police station he haa , no hat, but at Bunnythorpe he; wore a brown ■ slouch one, which ho kept well pulled down 'over hie: face. Mr. Ross questioned him if,'he had heard'or- seen anything of the man who. had escaped from the gaol'at Palmerston, bit he evaded ithe questions, and said he must get- away, 'stating that he was going to Feilding., Fears are entertained for the safety of!; Powelka's wife, while he is at large, as\he is known to have threatened her on several occasions, and he may be looked upon now as a very, desperate man. , . ' .. .