PRISONERS ON TRIAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1941, Page 3

PRISONERS ON TRIAL

ESCAPE FROM MT. EDEN GAOL. EVIDENCE OF WARDERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.> AUCKLAND. February 6. The trial of four prisoners. Allan Roy Duff, Bryan James O’llehir. Randall Smith, and David Watson, on charges of escaping from Auckland gaol by violent means and rendering three warders incapable of resistance was continued before Mr. .Justice Blair and a jury in the Supreme Court today.

Prison Warder Arthur Burgess described his movements on the evening of the escape, when he was assisting in marshalling certain prisoners for physical drill. Witness went to a little table in the dome to mark off the prisoners' names.

"I ticked off the names and 1 am afraid that is about all I can say.” said witness. "Everything went absolutely blank. 1 must have received a blow on the back of the head. I have a very hazy recollection of struggling with someone, and of being in a cell with Warder Scholium."

Another warder. Joseph Wenzl Scholium, said that after unlocking the prisoners in one of the wings ho saw Warder Burgess lying on the floor of the dome with two prisoners bending over him. Coming to the grille, witness asked: "What is going on?” and a prisoner replied: "He has fallen down. "Someone handed him a bunch of Warder Burgess's keys, and witness bent down to look at Burgess. He received a blow on the back of the bead, and did not remember anything more until he found himself in a cell with Burgess.

A third warder. Joseph Graydon Crawford, aged 62. who spoke with some difficulty, said he remembered go ing upstairs after letting one prisoner out. and then he was felled, and he remembered no more until he woke up in hospital five weeks later. At the request of one of the accused, Bryan James O’Hehir. Warders Burgess and Scholium were recalled, and both admitted that their attackers could have done them more harm than they did The hearing was adjourned.