DARING ESCAPE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24418, 2 October 1940, Page 6

DARING ESCAPE

FOUR PRISONERS AT LARGE ONE A MURDERER WARDER’S SKULL FRACTURED TWO OTHERS INJURED (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Oct. 1. Four prisoners, one of them a murderer, escaped from the Auckland prison shortly after 6 o’clock to-night after desperate struggles with warders, one of whom is in a critical condition at the Auckland Hospital. Two other warders suffered only superficial injuries, but were kept at the hospital for observation during the night. The last seen of the four criminals was when they clambered into a stationary car in Seccombes road, Epsom, and coasted down an incline to Crowhurst street, Newmarket, about a quarter of a mile away. There was ample benzine in the tank, but the owner had removed the ignition key from the switch. Squads of police in fast cars are combing the Auckland province. The injured warders are: — Joseph Graydon Crawford, aged 26, married, of Epsom, who suffered a fractured skull and concussion. His condition is very serious. Joseph Wenzl Scholium, aged 32, married, of Carlton-Gore road, slight concussion and scalp wounds. His condition is not serious. Arthur Burgess, aged 43. married, of Grafton, who suffered similar injuries to Scholium and is not in a serious condition. Attack Well Planned The attack upon the warders seemed to have been well planned in advance. From the available information it appeared that a little before 6.15 p.m. the prisoners were about to be locked in their cells when, without warning, five prisoners made a concerted attack upon the three warders. A hammer and a piece of lead piping wrapped in a sack were found near the spot where Crawford had a long struggle with his assailants, and from the nature of the injuries to his head one at least of those weapons was used upon him.

Having silenced Crawford the men then turned their full attention to the other two warders, and in short time had left them unconscious on the floor. The men seized all the available keys, and after unlocking various grills and communicating doors leading from one section of the prison to another, they at length reached one of the gates. Meanwhile, another warder, James Carson, came on the scene. He grappled with one man, and the other four opened an outer gate and slipped away. The fifth man was overpowered and returned to the cells.

Escape in Motor Car

The alarm was given, and shortly afterward the Newmarket police received a telephone message from Mr Frank Levin, a retired civil servant, to say that his motor car had been stolen from a house in which he was a guest for dinner. Mr Levin was at 34 Seccombes road having dinner when a woman came to the door and asked for the owner of a motor car which had stood outside. She told Mr Levin that four men in prison clothes had run down the street, clambered into the car, and tried to start it. They then let in the clutch and coasted down the street. Mr Levin said that 9nly this afternoon he had refilled his petrol tank. Crime Records The fugitives are:— Randall Reginald David Smith, a labourer, aged 27, who was sentenced to death at Timaru on February 4, 1938, for the murder of an aged storekeeper at Arundel, Canterbury. The death sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life by the Executive Council, and was announced by the Minister of Justice, Mr H. G. R. Mason, on March 8, 1938. David Fraster Watson, aged 21, a seaman and labourer, who was sentenced to reformative detention of 18 months for arson.

John Henry Silva, alias Shortcliffe, aged 25, a labourer and butcher, serving a term of two years for breaking and entering and theft at Christchurch.

Bryan James Ohehir, aged 23, serving 18 months’ reformative detention on nine charges of burglary, and recently sentenced at Christchurch to an extra year for escaping from Christchurch Gaol.