ARRESTS AT ROTORUA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 June 1938, Page 8

ARRESTS AT ROTORUA

ALLEGED SAFEBREAKERS ONE MAN BURROWS OUT OF CELL. RECAPTURED IN CAMBRIDGE. (By Telegraph —Press Association. ) ROTORUA, This Day. There was a sensational sequel late last night to an arrest of two men which was effected in Rotorua in the early hours of Sunday morning, when one of them made his escape from the lockup by tearing up two floorboards and burrowed his way out underneath. The cell was inspected at 10 p.m., when it appeared to be in order, but an hour later, when constables paid another visit, the man had disappeared. It was discovered that the other man in the cell had drawn his mattress over the hole in the floor in order to prevent the police seeing it. The escapee was arrested in Cambridge shortly after 10 a.m. today by Constable G. R. Maisey, following on a report from the police at Putaruru that a man answering the escapee’s description had obtained a lift from a lorry driver en route either to Paeroa or Cambridge. He was taken to Hamilton.

The arrest of the two men late- last night in itself was effected sensationally. Attracted by the sound of what appeared to be a muffled explosion, about 4 a.m. yesterday, two constables on beat duty investigated, and it is alleged, surprised two men in the act of setting a charge of explosive in the safe of the Tourist Department. One constable immediately slammed the strongroom door, shutting one man inside. The other submitted quietly to arrest.