ESCAPED PRISONERS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9140, 8 May 1908, Page 5

ESCAPED PRISONERS.

A SEARCH. Per Press Association. Auckland, May'7. The correspondent of the Herald at Mamaku states that some excitement has been caused by the supposed presence in that locality of the escapees from Waiotapu prison camp. Early in the week some clothing was taken from one of the platelayers’ cottages v at Parukiuga, and on Tuesday night two strange men stayed the night with one of the employees on Mr Martin’s farm, without arousing suspicion. On Wednesday afternoon, when one of the men called for food at some of the houses on the outskirts of the village, ithe police were communicated with, and several constables and detectives arrived on Thursday morning. In the meantime Mr A. Tindall’s residence was visited in the absence of the occupants, and the whole place turned upside down, evidently in a search for loose cash. Food enough to last £two men for several days was taken away, as well as two complete suits of clothing, two watches, a gold medal, a pair of razors, and a compass. This latter instrument would prove invaluable in enabling the men to make their way through the bash country, and as one of them is said to|have been an engineer, he would understand the proper use of it. Late on Wednesday night a strange man was seen making a fire at the side of the road, and it was afterwards found that clothing had been burned there. On Friday the police enrolled a number of volunteers, and a systematic search was made of the bush surrounding the village, but without success.