Escape of a Prisoner '■:.*.. DARING LEAP FRON A TRAIN.

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 15, 17 July 1886, Page 3

Escape of a Prisoner '■:.*.. DARING LEAP FRON A TRAIN.

r ■'-'-. ,' '.Melboubne, July 8i l ' . A daring escape _c6_d' ; custb'dy was effected by John Proctor, a prisoner of the. Crown, on Friday afternoon. The escapee was sentenced . - . .-to . . five years', imprisonment for forgery, at Maryborough in 1883, and since then has been confined in the local gaol. It was decided. that he "should serve the balance of bjs 83nten.ee at Pentridge, and Constable Snow was. instructed to convey him yesterday to Melbourne lock-up. The constable left Maryborough at ten minutes to 11 a.m. yesterday with Proctor, who was handcuffed and in prison clothes. They rode alone in a compartment of a second-class carriage.. The train had. just passed through the Keilpr road station, fifteen miles from Melbourne, and was going at full speed when Proctor made a sudden dash at the door of the compartment, burst it open, and jumped out. Snow attempted to seize bim but failed, and had no chance to use the revolver with which he was armed. The train did not stop until it reached Footscray, where Snow alighted and started out with Mounted-Constable Kavanagh to search for the escaped prisoner. The latter was found at Mrs Taylor's station, about .a, mile from Keller, by Trooper Ashton, at noon on Saturday. Two platelayers, to whom Proctor; had revealed his identity, kept the man under surveillance , until the arrival,' of Ashton, who was doing duty at Keijor.' sports. : [i The ; runaway . had eontfived to break one of his handcuffs,, but was unable to ; get rid of the' other link from his.wrist. ; Subsequently to leaving the" trdih he divested himself of his prison clothes, and managed to procure a dark ,'tweed suit of clothes and a felt hat. Proctor stated that an irresistible impulse seized him to escape as he sa"iv'tlie distaace from the place of hif** confinement gro wiiig gradually less. In; jumping from the tram be sustained some slightd~,i-_jury to his shoulder aiid the back of his head.