DRAMATIC CAPTURE OF PRISONERS

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1948, Page 4

DRAMATIC CAPTURE OF PRISONERS

Auckland Escapees Held up in a Store

P.A. AUCKLAND, October 6. The two prisoners who escaped from the Auckland prison quarry last Thursday were dramatically recaptured, in a small store, at Pirongia, to-night.

Held at bay for 40 minutes, by Mr C. Schwartfeger, who was armed with a shotgun, the escapees, James Daniel Pease, aged 38, and Peter Seaton Young, were arrested by Sergeant J. Bissett, of Te Awamutu, at 9 p.m. Hearing the sound of_ breaking glass in the store of W. H. Bell and Co., storekeepers, Pirongia,. at 8.15 p.m., Mr G. Bromell immediately left on his bicycle to inform Mr Schwartfeger, an assistant in the store, who lived a quarter of a mile away. s Snatching his shotgun from his shed and loading it as he ran to the store, Schwartfeger arrived there in a few minutes’ time. After a quick examination of the outside of the store, and accompanied by Bromell, he entered the store by the front door. After switching on the lights, Schwartfeger made his way to the rear of the shop, while Bromell stood guard on the door. As soon as the former had passed the counter, the two intruders attempted to dash for the door, but they were brought to an abrupt standstill by Schwartfeger’s threat to use his shotgun. The two men, who had been immediately recognised by both Schwartfeger and Bromell as the hunted prisoners,-at first adopted a hostile attitude. Evidently realising that Schwartfeger was in earnest in his threat to open fire if they attempted to escape, the two men resigned themselves to the position. At 9 p;m., Sergeant Bissett, with three constables from Te Awamutu station, arrived at the store, and arrested the men. They _were w later transferred to the Hamilton police station. The first indication of the possibility of the prisoners being in the Waikato area was given when a car containing two men, and resembling one stolen from Kaukapakapa on Tuesday night, was seen in Frankton this morning. .Intensive inquiries by the Hamilton police failed, however, to confirm that the car was the missing one, and it was not until a message from Pirongia was received that it was definitely established that the prisoners were in the area. Earlier in the day, the search for the two men had been concentrated in the Helensville area, over 100 miles from where the capture eventually took place. This search was discontinued when it was found that the prisoners had slipped through the oolice cordon.