The Young Constable and "The Hospital Escapee"

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)
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The young constable is one of the Century's innocents.  He has no malice in him.  He goes about his business in a quiet and private way, it's just that life's circumstances and strange and weird incidents have a habit of catching up with him. The young constable's father was amazed when he reached the age of 21, and why this is so, we just don't know except we must think that similar stories to those related here must have been occurring during the YC's  lifetime prior to him reaching his majority. Whenever I'm absent for a time one of the first questions I need answered on my return is whether any further Young Constable stories have occurred in my absence. These are some of the stories about the Young Constable that come to mind.  I have written them down as they are too good to allow them to be forgotten.

John Clarke

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THE HOSPITAL ESCAPEE

The YC and another police officer were guarding a murderer in the hospital.  The murderer was pretty ill and the fact that he had a guard was only that it was required as he was in custody.  I mean no one really thought that he would escape.

About 1am, cold winters night, the police officers both nodded off, but something awoke the YC and he glanced over to the prisoner's bed - guess what - he was gone.

The YC immediately leapt into action.  He woke the other police officer and raced down the stairs into the street just in time to see a ghostly figure in the mist in the distance apparently running at a fast speed and dressed in white in a hospital sheet.

Well the YC is a pretty fine athlete and he took off after the figure.  At the same time, the other Police officer appeared in the street with outstretched revolver yelling "will I shoot!?" .. the YC  screamed out "Don't shoot, don't shoot", as he was between the police officer and the offender.

The YC kept running and after several hundred yards realised the escapee was outrunning him, which had him pretty puzzled.  He also noticed that the escapee had an unusual running style.

At this point by a stroke of luck, a cab came past which the YC hailed and jumped aboard and then rapidly caught up to the escapee who it was now realised, was making good his escape on a stolen wardsman's bicycle.  A bike stop was carried out and the escapee/patient rapidly returned to hospital where he was kept under close and alert guard until his hospital court appearance the next morning.

No occurrence pad entry was made on this occasion.