CLEVER ESCAPE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 451, 8 February 1933, Page 5

CLEVER ESCAPE

PRISONER HOODWINKS WARDER BY A DELIBERATE RUSE STORY TOLD IN COURT Auckland, Tuesday. The story of how a warder was deceived by a prisoner was told before Mr. Justice Smith in the Supreme Court, when Frederick William Schluter, lahourer, aged 43 years, appeared on a charge of escaping from legal custody. The warder-instructor at Mount Eden Prison, Alexander Gamble, said that Schluter was* working on the telephone lines at the chief-warder's house in Clive Road. Accused all the time was under the charge of witness. Witness was working on a telephone outside the house and accused was ringing from 'inside the house. They were endeavouring to find a fault. Accused called out 'Can you hear." Witness, who was up a telephone pole rang through to Schluter again, but did not get an answer. He climbed down the pole and ran 37 yards to the house, but Schluter had gone. Evidence that he had arrested Schluter in a farm house six miles from Hunterville on December 11, was given by Constable Cosgrave, of Hunterville. Schluter volunteered the story of his escape. He said that he obtained a pair of civilian trousers and made up his mind to escape. On the day of his escape, he put the civilian trousers on under the prison garb. He suggested to the warder that he should go inside the house while the warder worlced up the pole. That was agreed to by the warder. Schluter said that he worked inside. the house for a time and then escaped. He went to a nearby house and rang for a taxi and 10 minutes later was on the other side of Auckland. After a retirement of 50 minutes the jury found Schluter guilty and he was remanded for sentence.