A Plucky Female Gaoler.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 247, 24 October 1885, Page 5

A Plucky Female Gaoler.

Kbv. York, Sept. 20.—A " Sun " special from Columbia, S. C, of tho 10th, says: Tho gaol nt Camden has for a long timo been considered im-eeure, and for this reason tho pr.oners have roccntly been kept in cells and not allowed the privilege of the corridors. The gaoler is a cripple, and has been confined to bed for several months. During this time his duties have been attended to by his daughter, Miss Gaskinß, and eho proved herself well worthy of tho trust reposed in her. On Friday evening a new lot of prisoners were received atthogaol, and as tho prison was already crowded, nine of them were locked up in an old cell which had not been used for somo timo. That night one of the prisoners managed to get out of the cell into tho corridor and by some means procured a piece of iron, with which ho broke the lock and released the other eight. They immediately began yrying off the bars of ono of tho windows, and in a fow minutes all the others would have been free.

At this juncture, however; Miss Gaskins heard the.uoise, and tho plucky littlo woman at onco picked up a bar of iron, unlocked the outer room, and rushing into the corridor whero the prisoners wero working nt the window, sho drove all of them back into their cell in short order. Sh6 kept guard at tho gaol until morning and|managed tho prisonors, several of whom were noted negro desperadoes, and one convicted of murdor and under sentence of death.