DESPERATE BATTLE WITH CONVICTS.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 28, 2 August 1906, Page 2

DESPERATE BATTLE WITH CONVICTS.

A desperate attempt to escape was made at Shanghai by the prisoners of the Wayside convict station, and five men were shot dead and twenty badly wounded before it was quelled. Mr W. Blennerhasset, one of the English prison officials, and several Indian warders were seriously injured. The plot had been carefully planned while a gang of |the convicts were at work in tiie taUor's shop. Yah Mao Mao, a notorious criminal undergoing a life sentence, sprang at the Indian warder in attendance and out his throat with a sharp knife. The . other .convicts joined immediately in the attack, but the warder, in Spite of the wound, dashed through tiie door of the workshop and closed and looked it upon his assailants. The convicts, however, broke down the door with a mighty rush, and poused out into the open. By this time the news of the attempt had spread, and the convicts found themselves face to face with the entire prison staff", headed by Messrs Blennerhassett, Weatherhead, Sims, and Anderson, four Englishmen, armed witii rifles and revolvers. The con-, viota divided into two. parties, one lot attacking tiie warders ttx the main compound, while the others made a raid on the ironworks to obtain weapons. For half an hour a desperate Conflict ensued. Volley after voUey was fired as "the convicts made repeated rashes. Yah Mao Mao dealt I Mr Blennerhasset a blow with a stonemason's hammer which cut open his <hjSod, and also stabbed him in the thigh With a knife. Yah Mao Mao was aiming anotiler blow when a warder shot 'shot him, dead. When the prisoners finally surrendered the compound resembled a shambles, with dead and wounded lying everywhere m pools of blood.