DOMINION NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 33, 9 October 1913, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS.

TYPHOID IN AUCKLAND. [Per Paras Association.! Auckland, October 8. There is at present a small epidemic of typhoid fever at the Auckland Mental Hospital. One case, that of a female patient, 47 years of age, terminated fatally yesterday morning, while four other inmates are suffering from the disease. The coroner, Mr E. C. Cut-ten, S.M., held an inquest at the institution this morning. Dr. Eeattie, superintendent, stated that several cases of typhoid occurred every year among the patients, and he did not anticipate that the disease would be entirely eliminated until the new drainage system was installed. He expected it to bo completed in about 18 months.

ATTEMPTED PRISON-BREAK INC

Auckland, October 8

On Saturday afternoon a clover attempt was made to escape from the Mount Eden Gaol by Robin Jasper Crago, aged 17, who, early this year, achieved notoriety by his part in a sensational motor-car shooting case at Takapuna, for which, in May last, he, was | sentenced to ten years' reformative' detention oh two charges of attempted murder. In July last he was in the public eye by reason of the discovery that he hacf applianqes (intended to be used for the purpose of escap?. Crago's latest exploit carried the attempt to escape to a further stage than his previous efforts. He .timed the attempt between three and four o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday, when the prisoners were being passed into the enclosed portion of the exercise yard for "smoke-ho." Crago mingled with the smokers, and so stepped into a part of the yard which was used for stone-dressing, and he managed to hide behind a pile of dresed stone. Twenty minutes is allowed for "smoke-ho." When the smokers were filed back to the.exercise yard, Crago came • out from his hiding and managed to break open f tool box in the stone-dreesing yard, and got a rope, a piece of chain, and i crowbar. With the crowbar he prised off from stone-dresEing screen 3ft lengths of rounded iron about a quarter of an>. inch thick. The iron he bent into the form of a large hook, and by means of the chain he attached the hook to a length of rope. By crawling along in the lee of the building Crago managed to get through a gap and to the 'outer wall without being sighted by the sentry then on duty. When he endeavoured to throw the hook on his rope so that it would catch the top of the wall, he was sighted by the sentry ,while he was also seen by a warder. Crago was quickly taken in charge again, and he offered no resistance. He was brought before. Mr FJ.V. Frazer, S.M., this morning, for an, aggravated breach of prison regulations, entailed in an attempt to escape. He admitted the offence, stating that he had no excuse to offer, and was sentenced to be put on bread and water rations for seven days.

VALUELESS CHEQUES.

Wanganui, October 9. Samuel Knight pleaded guilty to five charges of issuing valueless cheques amounting to £l9 to a Wanganui publican. He was committed for sentence at the Pplmerston North Supreme Court on Saturday. m