DASH FOR LIBERTY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1939, Page 9

DASH FOR LIBERTY

TWO PRISONERS ESCAPE

FROM CAMP WARDER ATTACKED & STRIPPED MEN CRASH THROUGH BRIDGE IN STOLEN TRUCK. ONE SERIOUSLY INJURED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, August 18. Attacking a warder and stripping ofl his uniform, which one put on to icplace his prison garb, two prisoners from i the Rangipo Prison Camp, near Turangi, made their escape today. They held up the driver of a motor truck and forced him to hand it over. Later, driving at a high speed, they crashed through the Tongariro River bridge at Turangi. One man was injured and taken to hospital. The other was again taken in charge. The names of the men are Dull and Bennett. Their Christian names are not available. Dull' belongs to the South Island. Bennett is a Maori of Auckland. The Rangipo Prison Camp is situated on the tourist road between Taupo and National Park, about seven miles from Turangi. A gang of prisoners under the supervision of Warder J. McMillan were engaged in clearing scrub in a paddock near the road, about a mile from the camp. When heavy rain began Mr McMillan ordered his charges to seek shelter. Apparently Duff and Bennett loitered behind, and, as soon as the other prisonere were out of sight, they turned, without warning, on Mr McMillan. It is alleged that Bennett held him, while Dull punched him several blows to the face, knocking him unconscious. His face is badly bruised and cut. As he lay on the ground Bennett and Dull undressed him. The latter threw off his prison clothes and, dressing in MrMillan's uniform, assumed the role of officer.

Running through the field in the opposite direction to that where the other prisoners were sheltering, they made toward the road and then set out toward Turangi. Almost immediately thev were overtaken by a motor-truck, travelling toward Turangi and driven by an elderly man, Mr F. J. Carter, managing director of Perham, Larson and Company, sawmillers, Rangataua, near Ohakune. The prisoner posing as a warder, ordered Mr Carter to stop. Having no reason to fear anything, Mr Carter pulled up, and he was promptly set upon by both men. Allegedly, they gave him the option of giving them the truck or subjecting himself to a beating. He had no alternative but to hand it over.

A prisoner drove the truck away. It was sighted soon afterwards, travelling at an estimated speed of between 50 and 60 miles an hour as it passed through the small settlement of Turangi. It sped on toward the outskirts of the township, where the highway leads across the long bridge over the Tongariro river, close to Lake Taupo. Failing to take a bend about a third of the way along the bridge, the truck crashed through the high decking in the side of the bridge and somersaulted into the riverbed. It landed upside down with its wheels just above the water.

Duff was thrown clear, but Bennett was trapped in the cab, and valiant efforts were made by Duff, assisted by Mr Dustin, proprietor of a fishing lodge at Turangi, to free him. They had to work in ice-cold, fast-running water, and. before they could drag Bennet out of the cab, it was necessary to smash the side window.

Meanwhile an alarm was broadcast about the escape. Officers of the Rangipo Prison Camp, including Superintendent A. Banks, in addition to those from the near-by Hautu Prison Camp went to Turangi. They found Bennett in an unconscious condition, suffering from severe head injuries. Duff was badly shaken though otherwise uninjured. Dr Feltham, Raetihi, was called to Turangi, and, on examining Bennett, he found he had concussion and a possible fracture of the skull. The St John ambulance travelled from Taumarunui to convey him back to the Taurnarunui Public Hospital, a distance of about 40 miles over difficult roads. He was admitted at about 10 o'clock tonight. Duff was returned to Rangipo Prison Camp. The bridge was blocked for eight hours.