DARING ESCAPE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1378, 25 March 1915, Page 3

DARING ESCAPE.

TWO GERMANS LEAVE SOMES ISLAND.

LONG SWIM TO PKTONE

Two young Germans —Edwin Balke aud Paul Woolf —who have been quartered at Somes Island as prisoners of war, made their escape from the island yesterday morning. According to the story of the meu themselves they were engaged ou the island doing roadwork, and as they considered this occupation more in the nature of convicts’ work than the duty of prisoners of war, they decided to make their escape, and lay a complaint concerning their treatment. They accordingly divested themselves of their clothing, which they strapped upon their backs, aud at about 8.15 o’clock entered the water and made for the direction ot the Petoue beach, a distance of a little over a mile and a half.

Despite very unfavourable swimming conditions in the blustering, bleak, southerly and choppy sea, the escapees made fair progress, although one oi them had a seizure of cramp when about hall way across. The only other incident of note during the long swim happened to Balke, who lost his bundle of clothes. The men kept together on the way across, both landing on the Petoae beach at about 10.15 o’clock. Balke having no clothes borrowed some of his companion's attire. Clothed in this, Baike visited a house nearby, and was given an outfit of clothes, and a reviver iu the shape of a cup ol lea. Then the two men, who are stated to have been little the worse for their experience, gave themselves up to the Petone police, who tcok them into custody. To the police the two meu stated that the reason lor escaping was to draw attention to the treatment the prisoners of war are receiving at the Island. They added that they had not the slightest difficulty iu making their escape.