POLICEMEN ELUDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 588, 14 February 1929, Page 1

POLICEMEN ELUDED

YOUTH REGAINS FREEDOM ARRESTED ON THEFT CHARGE A youth of 17 who was arrested last evening escaped from the cells at the Central Police Station at one o'clock this morning. He eluded a sergeant and a constable who tad gone in to make a periodical nspection, and dashed off '"to the darkness. At a late hour to-day the youth had not been rearrested.

hast evening detectives arrested 3ohn 'William Osborne, aged 17, on a tharge of breaking and entering the residence of Mr. Robert Arthur Howell, of Melrose Road, Mount Rosjdll, and stealing £75 worth of jewelkry and money. He was taken to the Central Police tation and placed in custody in the « a I t ‘ ere - Because of the hot night an the age of Osborne, he was shown » certain amount of leniency. At one o'clock this morning a sers ant and a constable made one of ,ir Periodical visits to the youth’s *!’ w hich he shared with another Ttng man who had been arrested.

They went in in the dark, expecting the inmates to be asleep at that hour of the morning. Osborne must have been waiting his chance, and in the darkness slipped out quietly behind the inspecting policemen. When it was discovered that Osborne was missing, a thorough search was made, but he could not be found.

Osborne is an English youth, sft 4in in height, of medium build, and with blue eyes and a fair complexion. When he escaped he was wearing a brown tweed suit and black boots. He was not wearing a hat.

Anyone seeing a youth answering to this description is asked to communicate with the police. At the Magistrate's Court this morning the charge against Osborne was j adjourned for a week. ESCAPE FROM SEACLIFF MAN WHO FIRED AT CONSTABLE GREAT SOUTH ROAD SHOOTING Press Association DUNEDIN, To-day. Athol George Beamish White, who was committed to Seacliff Mental Hospital after being found not guilty of the attempted murder of Constable Power at Auckland on June 14, 1927, escaped from the institution yesterday afternoon, and is still at large. White created a sensation in Auckland on June 14, 1927, by tiring on a policeman and detective who called on him at his home in Great South Road to inquire about the registration of a shotgun. • The same day he was charged at, the Auckland Police Court with attempting to murder Constable Power. ‘T tried to murder him because he tried to put me back in the asylum. That is as good as trying to murder me. is it not?” he asked the late Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M. Detective Nalder said that White told him God had appeared to him, calling him “Athol.” “Constable Power and I went to see about the registration of a gun and found White lying in his bedroom,” continued the detective. “He seized the gun and drew it into a shooting position. Constable Power grasped the weapon and I held White, who pressed the trigger. Had not the constable deflected the barrel he would have been shot. The bullet lodged in the wall.” Witness said that all the time he was there accused was asking whether he was to be take n back to the asylum. Later White told Mr. H. R. McKean, S.M., that he did not attempt to murder Constable Power. “I was going to murder him,” he said. According to White’s mother, lie had left school at an early age on account of an injury to his eye and was married when he was IS. He lived with his wife for about 12 months and then came home, when his mother first began to suspect his mental state. He said he could hear voices calling him and suffered from delusions, largely concerning religious subjects.

IN SYDNEY TOO PRISONERS DASH OFF (United P.A.—By 'Telegraph — Copyright) Reed. 10.30 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. Two prisoners, Patrick Duncan and Walter Jones, who were being brought

to Sydney in the charge of a constable, escaped at the Central Railway Station.

The men, who were handcuffed tripped the constable. slipped the handcuffs, and dashed away in opposite directions.