THE ESCAPED PRISONER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9150, 20 May 1908, Page 5

THE ESCAPED PRISONER.

RECAPTURED NEAR DRURY; Per .Press Association Auckland, May 19. Inspector Cullen received a wire this evening from Constable Flanagan, of Hunua, stating that the convict, William Smith, who made a sensational escape by leaping from the Rotorua express last Friday, had been recaptured near Drury this afternoon by Warder Richards and a civilian named Frank Ottway.

Smith was surprised by the warder and a civilian as he emerged from the scrub on to the Hunua road, about 50 yards ahead of them, and the pursuers, being on horseback, easily succeeded in running him down. He was, however, not captured without a.struggle, and Warder Richards had to draw his revolver before Smith would submit to he handcuffed.

Smith states that when he jumped from the train ho fell into some briar bushes, which broke his fall. He said he had been helped by some settlers, who had supplied him with food. Smith was brought to Auckland to-night, auddodged in Mount Eden gaol. HIS ESCAPE The man Smith,, said the New Zealand Herald on Monday, who is also known under the alias of Archer, is a most dangerous criminal, who was captured red-handed two years ago by Constable Connell in Newton while attempting to break into a store in Karanghape road. When the constable went to arrest him, Smith- fired point-blank at him again. Undeterred by the murderous ruffian, the plucky officer rushed him aud overpowered him. For this attempt on the constable’s life Smith was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, aud got another sentence of two years for the attempted burglary. WARDER RICHARDS’ STORY. Warder Richards, who was in charge of the missing man, communicated with the metropolitan police from Drury late last night, in the vicinity of which district he is searching for the escaped prisoner. He states that shortly before the train reached Drury his prisoner asked permission to go to the lavatory, and the warder accompanied him through the dining-room car. Smith was slightly in advance of the warder, aud turned apparently into the lavatory. He must have chosen that precise moment to leap from the train, as he suddenly disappeared. As already stated, the warder was at first under the impression that the man was concealed somewhere in the train, aud by the time he had searched the tiain Drury had been reached aud passed, and the escape was therefore not notified till Otahuhu, which is the next stopping-place after Drury was reached.