A SENSATIONAL ESCAPE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3329, 22 September 1911, Page 5

A SENSATIONAL ESCAPE.

PRISONER BREAKS OUT OF NEW GAOL POLICE SCOURING THE COUNTRY. NO TRACE OF THE FUGITIVE. About 11 o’clock yesterday morning, Alfred Burneele alias Pearse alias Barnicle, escaped from' the new gaol, and up to the hour when the “Times” went to press this morning the police had found no trace of him. Burneele was arrested a few days ago by Detective Mitchell on a . charge of assaulting and nobbing a man named Ivunnane on the schooner Falcon, and was sentenced to twelve months’ imprisonment with hard .labor by His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman, and was ordered to be detained for a. further period ol four years for reformative treatment.

It appears that Mr. Bollimore-, the acting gaoler, who has been relieving Mr. C. Parker, the gaoler, in consequence. of injuries the latter received by ’being assaulted by a prisoner recently. was in charge of the gaol. He allowed Burneele and another prisoner to clbcp some wood in. the yard. He went to the door "in response to a knock, 'and found it was a constable in charge of two more prisoners. He received the prisoners, and signed the warrant, and was only away from the yard a few minutes. When he returned to the yard he found that Burned© had l disappeared. The other prisoner told him he thought lie had gone to the lavatory, but out making a search lie found that apparently someone had climbed the wall with the assistance of a broom. Apparently he had caught the broom to the top of the roof, and had hauled himself up a distance of 15 feet. When he discovered the man had disappeared he communicated with the police, and a search was immediately instituted in the vicinity of the gaol, hut the prisoner could not be found.

Burneele was only dressed in a singlet and trousers when lie escaped, as his coat was found ini the gaol yard. Burneele has a fairly lengthy record, and according to the police is a desperate character. His convictions number fourteen, and he had only recently come out of gaol after serving a sentence of twelve months’ imprisonment for assault. He had' previously been convicted for housebreaking, theft, assault, and vagrancy. Burneele is a thick set man about 511 sin in height, and lias a., fresh complexion. blue eyes, dark hair, and moustache. He is a seaman, and no- doubt his knowledge assisted him in climbing the wall. Constables Moore, Johnston, and Shaiw were sent out ini pursuit of the escapee. The escape and the knowledge that the escapee was still, at large aw aliened fear in the breasts of more than one peaceful citizen last evening, as is borne out by stories which were transmitted to the police during the. evening. From the outskirts of Kaiti came a telephone message not long after 8 p.m. that the fugitive had been seen in that neighborhood, and was trailing a length of chain behind him which appeared to be attached to him. ’ Although the latter part of the story was such as to induce doubt, Sergeant Hutton and Detective Mitchell made their way to the point where the escapee was supposed to have been seen, and after a prolonged and thorough search satisfied themselves that the alarm was without foundation, Another and more serious incident took place in a by-street near the wharf at a later hour, and the consequences in this case might easily have been more serious.

Two ladies, accompanied by a gentleman relative, were returning from a visit to a resident in the locality of Pitt Street. When in a dark portion of the street, which is at least very poorly lighted, a man arose suddenly from out of the ditch bordering on the footpath, and advanced towards them. It is alleged that- he struck one of the ladies a blow with his fist on the chest, and took her umbrella from her. According to the story told to the. police, he was about to strike her with the umbrella when the gentleman intervened and grappled with the assailant. In the meantime some men who were in the neighborhood of Read's Quay, were attracted to the scene by the cries of the ladies, and the individual was overpowered and taken to the police station, where he was locked up.

It is understood that he will be charged with assault at the Court this morning.

Enquiries made at the police station just prior' to going to press elicited the information that up to that l our —3 a.m.—nothing further had been heard or seen of the escaped prisoner.