OUT AGAIN!

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1217, 28 August 1911, Page 6

OUT AGAIN!

POWELKA ESCAPES AGAIN.

FROM THE CONDEAINED CELL,

peculiar circumstances.

' Powelka's escaped again!" The news flashed through the city like Jightning yesterday morning, and within an hour or two the whole town was onco more talking of the resource and daring of tho man, and the full force of tho polico was hunting for tho escapce in the suburbs and countrywide adjacent to the city. The public by this time aro well acquainted with tho carear of Powelka, each of his four previous escapes from custody having created intense interest throughout tho Dominion. •It is only ten days ago sineo he, in broad daylight, sealed the wall of the prison yard, and sought hiding under the residence of Mr. W. H. Bennett, whose property adjoins tho Terraeo Gaol, on the northern side. There he was caught like a rat in a tra.p by the police. That was a daring bid for liberty, but .tlie feat pales into compara-

PLAN OF PORTION OF THE TERRACE GAOL. Tho above is a rough sketch plan of that portion of tho Terrace Gaol from which Powelka made his escape. No. 1 is the observation window in the cell, through which ho squeezed; No. 2 is tho cell door; No. 3 the covering door; and No. -1 the outer door, through which he walked to freedom.

Hve insignificance when compared with the prisoner's sensational exit from tho same gaol at an early hour yesterday morning.

HOW POWELKA DID IT. Having regard to. and a due respect tor Powelka s cunning, tho man has teen kept under close observation since his rearrest on August 18. To enable this to be efficiently performed, the prisoner was incarcerated in what is known as the "condemned cell," really one of two observation cells facing the corridor immediately inside the main entrance of the gaol, ami within three or four yards of the guard-room or office, which is the first room on the right-hand side on entering tho building. The cells mentioned form the inner or western side of a short corridor, whicli runs from the main entrance (situated in the old part of the Terrace Gaol) to the inside entrance to the gaol proper. The outer side of the corridor is the outer wall of the building facing Woolcombe Street, so that, assuming a prisoner could escape from one of the cells, and. open anyone of the three doors, ho would find himself on the gravelled path in front of the gaol, and free from auy further obstacles to freedom.

Powelka: was confined in tho cell nearest tho office, which was kept lighted through the night in oTder that tho warder doing nightwatchman's duty could sei his man every time h« made his rounds. The cell itself—an apartment about Gft. by 10 or 12ft.—is solid enough

in construction to resist any. attempt t'o escape. Tho door is of iron, and thero is an observation window about tho middle of the cell (not in tho door), measuring about: M inches by 1G inches and protected by six half-inch bars of iron placed vertically threading an iron brace halfway down. As an extra precaution against escape thero is a heavy wooden door ,on the outside, enclosing the whole of tho cell frontage to t'lie, corridor and closed by a brass slip-lock embedded in tho wood of tlio door. THE WEAKNESS. Thero was ono constructional weakness —and that is the one Powelka discovered and made sensational use of. On visiting the gaol yesterday, our representative was informed that Powelka had forced the whole of tho observation window out (bars and all), had squeezed himself through tho aperture, and tho extra wooden door of tho cell and one (tlio third or the southernmost) of tho outside dooTs being open the man stepped quietly across tlio six-foot carridor and vanished into tho outer darkness. It will cosily be seen thai Powelka's task would have been a deal moro difficult had tho two dnors been bolted. The ! covering cell door closes hard up against tlio coll wall and tlio observation window and had it been closed to, liio man would either have to break or saw a hole through it, and then he would havo had to pick the lock of tho outer door. That ho had to do neither will be the concern of those appointed to inquire into the affair.' I3ut even that remissness

(loes not touch upon Iho real structural weakness which I'owelka turned to account. It was found that the iron Kirs ot tho observation coll in which the man was confined were not embedded in (he concrete at all. but wore merely set up in a frame which fitted closely into the apeituro. Precisely how Powolka forced the bars is not known, but the wooden lining of the aperture only shows marks of friction, such ;us might be caused by working tho frame of iron bars loo;o. HEAD-GAOLER INTERVIEWED. Mr. ,T. Scanlon. who has boon headgaoler sinco Mr. Millington's death a few weeks airo, informed ouv r?pre;eniative that it is the duty of the warder doing the rounds tn take a look at the prisoner under observation even* time he passed along the corridor, then to close the wooden door to. and slip-lock it until he came along again. The warder who was on duty had spot. Powelka in his cell at 1 a.m. (as had also the officor-in-charge, who sleeps in the office a few yards away). The round took fram twenty to twentyfive minutes to do, but on the •! a.m. round it would take perhaps ten minutes longer, as tho warder had to release the cooks, so that they could proceed with the work of getting the breakfast ready for the prisoners and staff. When was the escape reported to you? questioned the pressman. "Xot until a quarter to six," said Mr. Scanlon. But what happened between the time the warder came back and found Powelka gone, and when the cscape was reported to vou? "Well, that is just what we will' have to find-out." Is the warder who was on duty still "No—ho was immediately suspended from duty," answered Mr. Scanlon. Powelka was to liave been brought up before tho Court this week on the charge of escaping from custody oa August I<, and it was only until that case had been heard and sentence passed that lowelKa was incarcerated in the observation cell. THE PURSUIT. SIXTY POLICE EMPLOYED. The news of the escape of Powelka was communicated to the police at about G.-30 a.m., anl in the nbsen c of Inspector Ellison, Sub-Inspector Sheehan summoned all the forces at his command, aiv! posted parties of them across the country from Karori to Wellington Harbour, with instructions to prosecute a diligent search for the missing man. Rumours began to stream in from all quarters. He had been seen in Molcsworth Street, at Northland, at Karori, and in the Botanical Gardens. The last rumour was deemed to be worthy of special attention, as tho southern end of tho Gardens, with its wealth "of natural bush and scrub would form excellent shelter for a man who wished to conceal himself from tho public gaze. So a posse of detectives and police were concentrated on the Gardens, which were systematically

"beaten" from end to end. The searchers, tired and wet, returned to the Lambton Quay station at 5 o'clock last evening—without Powelka! Others roamed far and wide over the hills to Karori, and doing the Tinakori Hills to Wadestown, whilst others nosed around iu the city, in proximity to the gaol—all without result. It is not known what start Powelka had, but if he got rway soon after ho was last seen in his cell 'at 4 a.m., and his disappearance was not reported until 5.45 a.m., he would have a good ninety minutes' advantage, and with that in hand he could with ease have travelled beyond the range of the suburban hills. There is another theory that is receiving some attention. When Powelka escaped lie was in his stockinged feet,' prison clothes, and was without handcuffs or manacles of any kind. If he had friends in waiting in the dark somewhero near tho prison, he could very easily have effected a quick change in the street, prior to being escorted to some hiding-place within urban limits. On the other hand, ho may, while it was yet dark, have got clean away into the country. One can only conjecture. POWELKA'S DESCRIPTION. Powelka is 23' years of age. He is sft. lOiii. in height, is of medium build; has dark skin; dark-brown hair, and blue ey<?s, and is clean shaven. His mouth, iK>;e, and chin are described officially as "medium" in size, with a "pinchcd" aspect. Poweika is a native of Oxford, New Zealand. There will probably lie a rewatd offered for his capture to-day. HIS PREVIOUS ESCAPES. A MAN OP GKEAT RESOURCE. The manner in which Powelka has succeeded defying locks, bolts, ami bars is really extraordinary. His carecr in this regard commenced at Palmcrston, whilst awaiting trial on charges of housebreaking and entering. On Maxell 12 lie was confined in one of the cells in the Palmerston Nortli gaol, where he had complained of being unwell. He asked to be allowed to go out' in the prison yard for a spell, to which request the gaoler consented. The gaoler opened the cell door, and left him for a moment to call a constable. In that moment or two Powelka. seized a bucket, turned it upside down, and from this step sprang to tho top of a ten-foot wall, seized a bicycle ha saw standing against a fence, anil so mounted rode speedily nut of the town. Ho was seen two days later hiding in some scrub near Kimboiton, and was caphired 1 by Constables Barry and O'Sul'.ivan at Awaliuri, without offering resistance. A Desperate Affair. His next exploit was in 'Wellington. Ho had been brought down to the Lambton

Quay Station from the Terrace Gaol to ho tried in flic Supreme Court (on tho charges for which he had been committed at Palmerslon JS T orth). In the cell worn other prisoners, and one of these had been removed from the cell bv a constable, who fancied that ho had locked tho cell door after him. As a matter of fact, he had not, and Powelka, over on tho alert, noticed the mistake and bolted. Then ensued a long and exciting chase in and about Palmerston Xorth, during which two people were fatally shot. The sum of .-£IOO was offered for Powelka's capture. 110 was seen several times, but eluded his pursuers, and after a hot pursuit, during which the whole district was worked up to a high pitch of excitement, tho man was finally captured in a hav loft near Ashhurst, armed with a loaded revolver. This was on April 17. Constables Gallagher, of AVelHuston, anil A. .1. Thompson, of Wanganui, were the arresting constables, l'owelka was tried on charges of breaking and entering, arson, and murder, and was found giiiltv of breaking and entering, and acquitted 011 tho charges of arson and murder. 110 was given a cumulative Mmtencc of 2t years, and declared a habitual criminal. Over the Prison Wall. His escape ten days ago from the Terrace Gaol is still fresli in tho public memory. In tho forenoon he jumped the wall of tho prison yard, serum bled down the bank outside, anil secreted himself under Mr. W. 11. Bennett's house in W'oolcombe Street, and was thero cjp> tured by the jjolica.

From the "Condemned Cell." To continue his rceord by escaping from tho "condemned cell" at the Terrace Gaol, must bo accounted no mean exploit for any criminal, and tho career of the man will go down in pnol history as probably one of tho most remarkable on record. A Press Association message from Talmerstou states that the announcement of Powelka's escape caused' considerable interest there. His wife and child aro still residing in the district, and it is thought that he will make that way. On inquiry at the Polico Station at 2.30 a.m. to-day nothing had been hoard as to Powelka's whereabouts.