A PRISONER'S ESCAPE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81845, 12 September 1906, Page 2

A PRISONER'S ESCAPE.

HIS PECULIAR REQUEST. REMANDED FOR A WEEK. There was quite a gathering in the body of the Court on Tuesday morning, when George Robertson, the prisoner who escaped from custody on Monday morning, was placed in the dock to answer a charge of having escaped from a. place of legal confinemoiil before his' term of imprisonment had expired. The prisoner was dressed in his prison singlet, trousers, and boots, just as on the previous day when at large. He was fc'iven the option of beingdealt with summarily or of being brought before a jury at the Supreme Court sesssions. The prisoner, before deciding, said that he considered he should never have been imprisoned at a'l on the charge for which he was now incarcerated, and mentioned that in Australia a case alleging "theft from the person unknown" had broken down. There seemed to be no precedent for sentencing him on such a charge, and he considered he had bepn very Ijaf'slvly t|ea't with. He had broken away simply to have an opportunity of coming before, the Court to state his grievance and, if possible, to have his sentence reviewed. He aske/d .the Magistrate if there were any chance of a reviewby going before the Supreme Court. Mr Hutchison replied that any such hope was perfectly idle. The Supreme Court would try him on the present charge and would not bother about the sentence, now being served. Only the Governor cculd review the case.

"In that case,'' said the prisoner, "I have nothing more to do but to plead guilty, sir, and throw myself on your mercy." Accused was remanded, on the application, of the police, until next' Tuesday al 10 o'clock, in order lo give lime (or the, collection of evidence.