ESCAPE OF A PRISONER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4314, 9 January 1893, Page 3

ESCAPE OF A PRISONER.

Much excitoment was caused in police circles on Saturday, when it was reported that a prisoner named Catt had escaped from custody; The escape was managed in this wise. The prisoner, James Catt, who a few weeks ago was committed for trial at the Wellington Magistrate's Court on three charges of horse-stealing, was on Wednesday last sent tip to Falnierston North to auswer another charge of the same description. On this chargo also he was committed for trial, and the following day ho was taken to Wanganui, where ho was again committed for trial on a still further charge of stcaliug horses. On Saturday ha was brought down from Wanganui in chargo of Constable Brown, of that place, arriving in Wellington by jthe nine-fifty p.m. train, The constable and his oharge were met at the railway station by Constable Blaok, who enquired if he could render anyassistancn, or whether he should procure a cab in which to, take Catt to the gaol. Both offers, however, were refused, and Brown started to walk the distance with his charge, who, strange to say, was not handcuffed. This was Catt's opportunity. Soon after getting outside the limits of the Manawatu reclamation ho slipped from the grasp of the constable, and almost before Brown, who is an elderly man, bad perfectly realised what had happened, his prisoner was out of eight. On the matter being reported at the Police Station, arrangements were at once made for the prisoner's recapture. It was at first thought thathewouldvisit a certain person in Wellington with whom he had been previously associated. The person in question, however, having left the city since his apprehension, the visit paid to this individual's former quarters proved fruitless. During Sunday all the available deteotive and police forcemounted and dismounted, in uniform and in plain clothes—wore engaged in searching for the missing one, but up to a late hour last night he had not been re-captured,