YOUNG PRISONERS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 February 1930, Page 6

YOUNG PRISONERS

TWICE ESCAPE

Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

PUKEKOHE, Feb. 25

,',iA sensational escape was- oile.cted by three absconders from Weraroa .Training Farm, .who got away from the Pwkckohe. jock-up shortly . after •nrbl-xlay .to-day. .The three youths arc Denis (Ronald BLssett,. Eric Alfred Chapman, .Join: - Heniy Wilson. They, along with two. others, cleared out from tin- Weraroa Training ; Farm about midnight on. Tuesday last, their, escape j being made by ' a, key;, whiph one of: the party manufactured It is imdei-s'todc (that/ they fjprrowed' a Jewett motor .ear Trout the fa nil, 'aii.;l,' when half a aloiig the road,' they were’i-hased by the farm attendant in'! another car. When racing ahuig the road, the car driven Ivy the escapees “broadslded’’ in some loose metal. The car stopped and the occupants jumped out. making good their escape in the darkness. 'The five then split up into two parties, three coining north, and two going elsewhere. The party of three collected a wardrobe on route and it is believed they boarded the truck of a goods frain at Palmerston North, labelled ‘ Now Plymouth,” and left that ti;ain ‘at Lepperton Junction. They then walked as far asf'Mt. Messenger, 1 where' they hopped aboard a motor transport; and ' reached Piopio. They gathered Mood" At various-stages of their' journey-, mid i supplementedthis by directing (their attention -to orchards.' At. Piopio they “borrowed” a Dodge motor car and drove to To Kuiti, thence to Hamilton and Whatawhata, where they l obtained more food.- 'They replenished their benzine: supply by •syphoning .from t hetanks of cars that were left unafcleuddo at the roadside. The party next left for Oncluinga, where they spent practically the whole of yesterday. They left in the afternoon for the King ( ountrv, hut, on arriving at Pokeno, they discovered that their benzine was almost exhausted, so they entered MeKobbio’s garage and lifted three cases of benzine. Mr M(‘Robbie observed the act, however, and lie went at full speed to Mercer to inform the police;. IJe passed the three on his journey, and lie accompanied Constable Olsen : hack. 'The three escapees were then arrested. They spent last night in the lock-up, and they appeared at the. Pukekohe Police Court this morning, being charged with the til eft of three cases of benzine, the property, of McHobbio. As there were other charges pending, however, they were remanded to app< ar on-March 5.-' They‘were placed in' the Pukekohe lock-up shortly before midday ' and they -were to have been taken to the Auckland prison by the 12.30 p.m. train. In the meantime, they forced the bars of the cell door, and escaped. . The police are now scouring the district for them.