PRISON ESCAPEE IN DOG BOX.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4482, 24 July 1930, Page 1

PRISON ESCAPEE IN DOG BOX.

DISCOVERED BY RAILWAY PORTER. FUTILE DASH FOR LIBERTY. A sensational end to a brief peviod of liberty occurred on the arrival of the Limited express at Thorndon station, Wellington, on Monday, when James Alexander Soorringe, an escapee from the Wiaikune prison camp at the National [Park, was found by a porter in the dog box of the guard’s van. Daring though the attempt had been Scorringe was not satislied and on being escorted to the ipoliee station he again made a determined bolt for liberty. It appears that Scorringe conceived the ingenious idea of stowing away on the Limited express .when it stopped at National Park at 3.15 on Monday morning, the only day of the week that it does so. He opened the dog box with, a broken file, an ordinary key not being necessary for opening- the door, and then for over six hours he lay cramped in the little stuffy compartment while the train passed through the cold hill country of the Main Trunk line in the early hours of the morning. Unfortunately for him he could only board the train on the side opposite the platform at the National Park which at Thorndon corresponded to the platform side. Therefore on the arrival of the express iUt its destination he had to await a favourable opportunity to slip out and make for cover. After the van had been cleared of tbe passengers’ luggage a porter following the usual procedure looked to see if there were any dogs in the box and he received a shock when he beheld a man inside. He immediately went for the assistance of the station foreman who in turn summoned one of the three constables who were waiting on the station and the daring escapee was taken into custody. He was being escorted along Thorndon Quay eu route to the Thorndon police station where he would wait for the arrival of the prison van when on reaching the intersection of Davis Street he dashed away from the escorting constable and ran in the direction of the wharves. Although Scorringe is a man of 23 years ‘and athletic in build and the constable is a middle-aged man the latter gave stern chase. After running in pursuit for about 200 yards the escaping man was caught by the constable just as he was in the act of scaling a wire fence, his trousers being caught in the barb.