What makes you guess that the prison authorities have soft corner for Evans and the same becomes the cause of his escape?

Or

How did Evans outwit the Governor and his staff?

Or

How did Evans and his men dupe the prison officials?

Or

What mistakes were committed by the prison officials that helped Evans and his friends to get success in their plan?

Or

Describe the plan hatched out by Evans and his friends to get Evans out of the cell.

James Evans was imprisoned in the Oxford Prison but he had group of cunning, clever and smart friends outside. They hatched out a plan to get him out of the prison. Evans started night classes in ‘O’ Level German. The services of a German teacher were made available to him and he was from the technical college but he was Evans' friend. The prison authorities never thought to check him. At the Examination Board too they won over someone to act as an informer. They knew from Evans that McLeery would be put on invigilation. They bound and gagged McLeery in his flat and sent some one else to impersonate McLeery. Evans cut his hair short and hid under a bobbly hat. Mr. Jackson did not insist to take off the hat lest he should hide something under it. McLeery's semi-inflated rubber ring was not examined since it contained pig's blood. Thinking him as a bonafide person, they did not search him properly.

The Governor allowed Stephens to stay outside the examination room and it provided a chance for Evans to work out his plan. The Governor did not check whether the prison van was appropriately needed by the magistrate or not. Evans dodged Carter when they took him to search for Evans and escaped. At The Golden Lion Hotel, he was nabbed by the Governor. When the Governor asked for police van and the prison officers, Evans' men succeeded in duping the Governor. Despite all precautions, Evans escaped from a high security jail.

James Roderick Evans was a very cunning, smart and deceitful type of prisoner. So he was imprisoned in H.M. Oxford Prison under the careful watch and vigil of the Governor and other prison officials. But on the other hand, he was a very jolly fellow and participated in Christmas concerts. He was very good at imitations but he had no record of violence in the prison.

He was famous by the name of ‘Evans the Break’ since he tried to escape from the prison three times. The Governor and other prison officers remained tense in the presence of Evans. All had severe doubts about his being absconding. He was a very sharp man having knowledge how to make an easy escape. He understood the human psychology very well. Immediately he requested the Governor that the presence of Stephens would distract his attenion in the paper. He was smart enough to outwit the Governor and his staff. He impersonated as McLeery and had a fine setting with his friends. He had the last laugh in the story and duped the Governor.

Evans was a very smart type of prisoner duly imprisoned in the H.M. Oxford Prison. He had no record of violence and used to participate in Christmas concerts. He was good at imitations but he had escaped from the prison three times. So the prison officers called him “Evans the Break”. So he was kept on high and tight security. In the jail, Evans started ‘O’ Level German classes. Now he wanted to appear for the examination.

Keeping in view his previous history, a tight security was alerted in his cell since he had to answer his paper in his room. Stephens was appointed to watch him till the paper was finished. The Governor too himself was much alert and microphone was attached in his room so that every word could be heard by the Governor himself. His room was too thoroughly searched and the objectionable items like the nail scissors and nail file were taken away. The razor blade was also taken away after the shave. Even McLeery was searched and a knife was removed from his suitcase. Despite these precautions, Evans duped the prison officials and escaped.

From the very beginning to the end of the play, there are so many lacunas and laxities on the part of the prison authorities that made the escape of Evans. Adequate measures were adopted to prevent Evans' escape but there remained certain facts that were totally unheeded. When McLeery came for invigilation. His identity was never checked except signing in the visitors' book. Already the police officers were asked to search the room of Evans and they ensured complete availability of any unauthorised items, how Evans managed to conceal beard, dog collar, a pair of spectacles and other clerical things in his cell? Apart from that he had got some sort of weapons with which he had givenMcLeery a terrible wound across the head. When Jackson asked to remove his bobble hat, Evans objected and called it “Good luck”.

During the examination the correction-slip paved the way for Evans' escape. The prison authorities failed to confirm from the examination board about its sanctity. Not only this, they could not detect that Evans impersonating as McLeery became the imposter. McLeery walked out of the prison after the examination and Evans impersonating McLeery stayed in. The Governor nabbed Evans at the Golden Lions Hotel and called for the local police and the van. There the men of Evans' must have been tracking the Governor. They impersonated as prison officer and helped Evans escape. The Governor did not ask for his own official van and officers. Thus we can say that the prison authorities were totally responsibile for the escape of Evans.

Tips: -

M. Imp.

The examination was over and as per instructions, Stephens had accompanied McLeery to the main prison gate. He was in a relaxed mood as there had passed everything very smoothly. He thought to visit to the canteen for a cup of tea. But before he could sip a cup of tea, it came to his mind to just have a look at Evans. So he proceeded towards his cell and opened the peep hole. To his utmost dismay and perplexion, he was shocked to see the inside scene. There he saw a man fallen back in the chair of Evans. The blood was dripping from the front portion of his head. It was oozing from his black beard. It was spreading over his little dog white collar.

There slipped a grey blanket from his shoulders. Stephens was deeply troubled and cried “Oh, Chist, No!” He at once cried wildly for Jackson and raised an alarm. When Jackson arrived, he at once sent Stephens to ring the police and the ambulance. But immediately McLeery said “Do not worry about the ambulance. I am all right. Get the police. I know where he has gone.” But in reality it was Evans who was impersonating McLeery and trying to put the officials on the wrong track.

Tips: -

Imp.