LIFE A MISERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 98, 27 April 1932, Page 7

LIFE A MISERY.

CONVICT'S CHARGES.

111-Treatment Alleged At Trial Of Dartmoor Mutineers.

ARMED GUARDS FOR JUDGE,

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received 12 noon.)

LONDON, April 20.

The special Assizes convened for the trial of the 29 convicts charged with various offences in connection with the recent Dartmoor prison mutiny, has opened in the village of Princetown, where the prison is situated.

Mr. Justice Finlay, who is presiding, is protected by armed guards. A large dock with steel bars was erected in the Town Hall. Police reinforcements are

watching for suspicious characters among the spectators.

One of the prisoners, named Davis, is charged with stabbing Warder Birch. The latter gave evidence that he had been four times assaulted. He denied cruelty and vindictiveness towards convicts, and said he occasionally cautioned Davis for noisiness but did not report him.

Davis, in evidence, denied threatening to murder Birch. He declared that Birch had made his life a misery. "All the 21 of them are having a go at me," he said, "because I complained of the rotten tea. I have been 'down below' 21 times since I went to Dartmoor in 1930 and I have done 81 days on bread and water. Once" I argued with the governor when, I was sentenced to punishment, and three warders later throttled me and stuck their fingers in my eyes." The hearing was adjourned.