PRISONERS ESCAPE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2881, 9 May 1925, Page 3

PRISONERS ESCAPE.

CRIMINAL LUNATTC RECAP- • TURKU. Auckland, Yesterday. In March last, Archibald Scott, a young man 24, and a prisoner at Mount Eden prison, serving a sentence for theft, was sent to Auckland hospital suffering from rheumatism. Ten days ago (last Monday week), at about seven o’clock in the evening, Scott donned his clothing, including a hat and boots, of another patient at the hospital and left, the institution. That was (lie last- the staff saw of him and though the police have been on the look-out for the escapee, he still remains at large. He was sent to Auckland prison from Wellington. Thomas John Lewis, aged 45, an habitual criminal who has been an inmate of the Auckland mental hospital for some time escaped from ihe insliiufion on Sunday morning and was found by Detective Meiklejolm today in Grey street.

This is not the first occasion on which Lewis has walked out of the menial hospital. In June last he escaped, and retained his liberty until Detective Meiklejohn arrested a man for Hie theft of a watch and chain. When brought; to the detective office, the man was recognised as Lewis, for whom the police had been on the look-out. lie was brought before the Court charged with theft and returned 11) Ihe mental hospital.

Lewis is a 'man with a list of criminal conviction recorded againsl him, so many in fact, that ho wa.- declared by the Supreme Court an habitual criminal.

On Sunday, when he made his escape, he had a “ginger” beard, but it was not, known how lie was dressed. He made his escape by gelling Hi rough the window of Hie building where he was located. Today. Detective Meiklejohn again recaptured Lewis, this time in Grey -Ireel. His heard had been cut short and dyed black. He informed the detective this was the third time he had escaped from the mental hospital, and that he had also twice escaped from prison. He was relumed to thr* institution this afternoon.