THE PRISONER ESCAPEE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81848, 19 September 1906, Page 2

THE PRISONER ESCAPEE.

On Tuesday morning George Kobertson, more reputably dressed than on his previous appearance, was charged before "Mr T, Hutchinson with havin? escaped from the New Plymouth "gaol. Sergeant Haddrell prosecuted, and called,

William Dineen, warder at the gaol, who gavo evidence that lie had taken the gang of prisoners to work at Western Park, but the weather was too wet to work and he kept the prisoners in the shelter shed Accused had permission to absent himsolf for a minute, and, instead of returning, made his way over tho hill. There wore no fire-arms there to stop nim. No violence was used.

The accused had nothing to say except that he had hoped to have his present sentence reviewed. That, it seemed, was impossible. In answer to the Bench, Sergeant Haddrell said that llobertson had been sentenced in May last to two years' hard labor for theft and ono year for attempted theft, tho sentence!) running concurrently. The Magistrate, addressing the prisoner, said the ofEence rendered him liable, as a rogue and a vagabond, to two years' imprisonment. He did not, however, regard the offence as a very serious one. There had been no act of violence in forcing his escape, nor had ho been guilty of any crime whilst at large. Thero wits no moral terpitude in following a natural instinct to be free, and the escape reflected more on the persons in charge than on the accused, who would be sentenced to a week's, imprisonment to be served at the expiration of his present sentence.