George Wilder (a national sensation)
Three times George Wilder escaped over prison walls. First from New Plymouth and twice from Mount Eden in Auckland. On his first break from Auckland, he lowered himself over the prison wall using knotted sheets. Each of his escapes was in the 1960s. He soon became a national sensation with his ability to stay free, evading police and public.
In September 1963 a popular musical group, the Howard Morrison quartet, released a single called " George, the Wild(er) New Zealand Boy", And, despite being banned by New Zealand's state owned broadcasters. It still went to number 1 in the charts and stayed there for ten weeks.
He travelled over all manner of grassy land and tundra doing his best not to get captured.
George stole food and clothes and a horse and even floated in a dinghy across a water course to help stay free.
And he almost rode a bike into a police barricade but dropped the bike on the road and disappeared out of sight.
He had a passion for cars, especially Jaguars and once converted one and drove it through a traffic cordon, then abandoned it, taking flight on foot.
At one time he was reported to have joined in a shoulder-to-shoulder search for himself, then slipped away from those hunting for him. It was after that time some people referred to him as a bobby-dazzler.
Wilder ran across undulating paddocks, slinked back and forth through undergrowth and bush.
He travelled over rocky bluffs and through bracken and fern. He went down dry river courses and across shingle divides, encountering eerie silence at night.
To get into buildings, he broke door locks or got through windows. He often left apology or thank you notes after stealing food or using the accommodation. When George's popularity grew larger some people started leaving food out for him
Then he got on his way and hid in remote parts of the country where he saw hermit sheep and bush cattle.
And when he was close to wild creatures, he moved carefully so as not to disturb them and give his whereabouts away.
Whether he sometimes carried a sharp stick or other weapon to ward off aggressive animals like wild boar or stag is hard to know.
There were intermittent storms and heavy rain and thunder but he was never stopped by these problems. He also broke into shearing quarters when he needed shelter.
Eventually he went closer to civilization where supplies of food were more easily found. No doubt he ate mushrooms and wild berries and sometimes harvested fruit from orchards. Wild turkeys would have been a easy catch at night, when they sat on fence tops in the evening light.
Once, some who followed in George's wake saw him break from cover. And later they found him hiding in a hole by a road side.
He got in many conundrums but he used many skilled advantages to get ahead of those looking for him.
He used trees as lookouts, giving him reassurance and less doubt about where those stalking him were. Twice, police dogs were used to track him.
When avoiding cops or other passing foe. George lay low and silent waiting for those searching for him to leave the area. And it is said he was never violent.
His tenacity enabled him to push on through all manner of hardship. At one time, he traveled 2610 kilometres and whether he sneaked rides on goods trains for part of these journeys is a debatable likelihood.
At times, George looked gaunt and haggard. especially when he travelled for a time without food or because he was exhausted.
On his third and last escape, he got clear from jail with two other accomplices; one brandished a sawn-off shotgun. They kidnapped a prison warden and hid in a house in Auckland but were captured after three hours.
But, a cell in maximum security was often waiting for Geoge. He had dates with magistrates when he could run no more. He had been in the can and was not a remittance man but became a guest of the state.
Then, when his life finally changed for the better, he retired in the hamlet of Weber in the east coast province of the Wairarapa.
James Fagan
40 Chippendale Crescent
Palmerston North
(06) 3552861
jjfagan26@gmail.com
