ESCAPE FROM BORSTAL

Taranaki Daily News, 7 April 1928, Page 15

ESCAPE FROM BORSTAL

2 YOUTHS EVADE WARDERS STILL AT LIBERTY IN SOUTHLAND. ONE SMASHES TWO MOTOR-CARS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Invercargill, Last Night. Two practically simultaneous escapes trom the Borstal Institution occurred at about ten o’clock on Thursday morning, and in spite of the efforts of warders and police the escapees are still at large. One of those concerned is Herbert Maxfield, aged 18, who is oft 4in in height, of medium build, and has a sal-’ low complexion. He was sentenced at the Wellington Supreme Court ou July 10, 1925, to three years at the Borstal for breaking, entering and theft. The other is Charles Newman, aged 171, whose height is also sft 4in. He is of medium build and has a dark complexion. He was sentenced at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court on January 9, 1926, to three years at the Borstal for theft. It appears that the escape was preconceived between Maxfield and Newman, as they were working at the time at widely separated places. Maxfield had been working on the prison farm but was placed under report and was escorted away by an officer. He es-. eaped from the officer, crossed the retaining wall and dived into the estuary.

The officer returned to the institute to report, but in the meantime word had been received that Maxfield had broken into the residence of Mr. McKenzie, 51 Hensley Street, and stolen a suit of slothes. Thefe© he had put on and left his prison clothes, with the exception of his boots, behind him in the bathroom.

It was later reported that Maxfield obtained the suit with the help of a revolver. Mrs. McKenzie was in th© kitchen when sb© heard a suspicious noise. She called a neighbour, Mr. E. Fleming, who investigated while she remained outside.

On entering the house Mr. Fleming was met with a curt “Hands up!” and found himself confronted by a young man with a revolver. This is said to have been Maxfield, who locked Fleming in one of the rooms while he helped himself to a suit. He also took boots, but in hi is hurry dropped them. He succeeded, however, in making good his escape before the warders arrived. In the meantime, acting on information that Newman was intending to escape at the same time, the superintendent despatched an officer to Otataia, where Newman was working in the bush. When the officer arrived there the party was mustered and it was discovered that Newman was missing. The were notified at 5.30 that a susp; dous-Uoking character answering to the description of Newman had. been seen at Otataia, and a party was immediately sent out to scour the ‘bush. The other escapee commandeered a motor-cycle in Hensley Street at six o’clock after hiding all day in a patch of scrub. The motor failed to start, and Maxfield, pursued by warders, threw it aside and escaped on foot. Nothing was heard of him until this morning, when word was received that he had ‘been seen at Kennington at 5.30 am. in a touring car, and had been assisted to -repair the damage by a resident. Maxfield stole two old -number-plate® from -the house of his helper and set off north on the main road. A cordon oi warders and police is posted along roads in the district north of Gore. Later Maxfield was seen near Mataura.

At 2 p.m. to-day the police received word from Dunedin and Balelutha that a car in which Maxfield had been seen at Kennington had crashed into a bridge at Balclutha and was lying there smashed. Maxfield is said to have presented a revolver at the head of a driver of another car, which also collided with the bridge through the erratic driving of the escapee. He was last seen on foot making towards the open country between Balelutha and Milton. It is believed that Newman is still in the vicinity of Invercargill.

ONE FUGITIVE RECAPTURED. FRANTIC EFFORTS TO ESCAPE. (Press Association Extraordinary.) Invercargill, Last Night. Maxfield was ultimately run to earth at the Dunedin end of the Balelutha bridge at 7 o’clock this evening. He made a frantic effort to avoid capture by jumping on the running board of a car proceeding south, but was observed by a warder in a police ear which was passing at the time. A warder jumped out, ran along the bridge, and grabbed Maxfield, who submitted quietly to arrest. The revolver Maxfield had is said to have been fully loaded, but there is nothing to show how he came to be in possession of it. Newman is still at large.