HUNT FOR A LUNATIC.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1632, 26 December 1912, Page 4

HUNT FOR A LUNATIC.

OUT AT MAKARA.. ' HILLSIDE FIRE AND SURMISES. On Tuesday afternoon William JamoS Lewis escaped from the Porirua, Mental Hospital, in which institution, /he had been confined as a patient since May last.

So far Lewis has not been recaptured, but the police .have information which seems to- indicate that he was in itho vicinity of Makara yesterday. Mr. Frederick Henry Hawking, a Makara farmer, reported to tie polico yesterday morning that he had seen a pecu-liar-looking stranger wandering near his farm, and that tho man had been dressed iu asylum clothing, and had had no hat and no boots.

Mounted-Constablo Pearson went out to tho 6cene, and was told.by Mr. Hawkins and his son that they had i seen a firs that morning near the. Junction of Makara Road and Johnsonville Road, end that afterwards a naked man had run up tho hillside. The constable then proceeded to the place where the firehad been, and found that a suit of clothes had been burnt. There was nothing but the buttons left.

Ihe man, who is supposed to be Lewiß, went in the direction of Wadestown, and on hia way asked some of Mr. Hawkins's children the way to Wairoa, Hawko'a Bay.

Last night a party of constables set out by motor-car in the direction of Makara m search of the escapee. Lewis, who wag sent to Porirua from Napier, .is 24 years of age. He: is 6ft. high, and at the time of his escape was dressed in asylum clothes. - '