CHAINED BANDIT ESCAPES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2378, 12 January 1922, Page 4

CHAINED BANDIT ESCAPES.

MISSING FROM CABIN CELL,

A bandit named Baptist Travail, who was arrested in Brazil at the request of the French police on charges of murder and burglary, has escaped in dramatic circumstances from the steamer Valdivia. Travail, who is 42 years of age, was in business at the slaughter houses at La Villette. He was one of the leading members of a gang of criminals, who have a most sinister record. He was the last member of the gang to be arrested, because he had left France, and had established himself at Rio de Janiero, where he started last year in business as an expert agent. He was very successful, and was living in grand style, when the police discovered him. Extradition was granted, and the Valvidia, which left Rio for Marseilles on September 18th. When the vessel reached Marseilles, detectives, who had gone to escort him to Paris, were surprised to hear that the prisoner had escaped during the voyage. Travail had a cabin, which had been converted into a cell. He was put in irons every evening, and at night had to lie on a mattress with his feet tied to an iron bar. On reaching Las Palmas the. captain visited him, and saw lie was in irons. At midnight, however, Travail was missing. He had apparently managed to saw his irons through, and had slipped into the water through the port hole. Las Palmas was searched in vain.