THE DARTMOOR MUTINY.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20510, 1 April 1932, Page 11

THE DARTMOOR MUTINY.

♦- TRIAL OF CONVICTS. STATEMENTS BY PRISON OFFICIALS. (UNITED PRESS" ASSOCIATION—BY ELICTBIO TELEGRAPH—COPYBIOHT.) (Received March 31st, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 30. At the resumption of. the enquiry into the mutiny at Dartmoor Prison on January 22nd, <when a violent struggle between 300 or 400 convicts and warders, reinforced by hundreds of policemen, raged for two hours, resulting in about 70 convicts and a dozen warders being wounded, Warder Winter, said that on the day of the mutiny sixty convicts armed with pickhandle* and sticks, under the leadership of Conning, demanded the release of thirteen occupants of separate cells. The accused, James, quietened the rioters, and advised Winter to release the prisoners which, being in fear.-he did, though some remained in their cells throughout. Subsequently, when the police arrived, Conning offered unconditional surrender, but Stoddart demanded better food and no victimisation. Witness noted this down, and promised to pince tho matter before Colonel Turner, when another mob rushed out shouting: "No surrender." Chiof-Officer Sraale. whom the rioters stoned, said he was locked in the hall with tho prisoners and other officers, but came out when tho polico arrived. His statement that'ho sow no officers on tho parade ground after tho rioting began evoked laughter from the dock. Ho had ordered his subordinates in view of tho unrest to ant with scrupulous fairness. The convicts, who started the riot, were let out of B hall on the orders of Colonel Turner and the Governor. Mr S. N. Roberts, ■though witness did not agree with this course. ' Warder Friend described how tho intending escapees dropped inside the wall on seeing his revolver. Warder Moss said ho was one ot several, officers firing carbines at the convicts on the roof. Apparently tlio convict, Mitchell, was trying to escape when shot, though witness and others fired over his head. Tho accused, Dolmar, was committed for trial, and the others were again remanded. MUTINY GANG TROUBLESOME. NEW GOVERNOR APPOINTED. (FROM DVB OWU OORRESrONDEHT.) LONDON", February 2.1. A new governor, Major C. Pannall, has been appointed for Dartmoor Prison, whero tho leaders of the recent mutiny continuo to givo trouble. Mr S. N. Kobcrts, tho lato governor, has been appointed governor of Cardiff Prison. Nearly 70 convicts aro undergoing solitary confinement in »»?<*** Dartmoor. It is capable of holding 400 convicts, but only ono floor is in use so that tho task of observation should be minimised. Threo empty cells separate each of the convicts in this block. Tho men arc locked up for 23 hours every day, being released for one hour s exercise. It was thought that by this means communication between them would be provented and that the warders would bo able quickly to check any organised attempt at singing or shouting. Ono night, however, tho 70 convicts had perfected a scheme for outwitting the. warders, and throughout the night Princctown was disturbed by - shouts and curses. "Wo spent a terrible night listening to the ravings of the convicts, who sounded moro liko animals," said one resident. "They could bo heard all over tho town and they kept it up for hours." All arrangements were mado to copo with any eventuality. As dawn broke on Sunday tho convicts resumed their shouting and singing, which they had repeated at intervals for over a week. Residents heard them calling to one another, and later on tho singing of popular songs and wartimo melodies interspersed with oaths and" curses. Shortly before the time for church parade tho uproar died down. All week-end leave for tho prison officials was cancelled and every warder was on duty when tho services were held, fiverv convict, except tho 70 in D Block and about 20 who were still in the prison hospital, was permitted to attend 'either tho Church of England or the Roman Catholic service, and more than 300 men availed themselves Of this privilege. They were paraded--in parties of 20 and marched to the chapels, where 80 warders acted as a guard. - Mingled with tho general babel which is tho recalcitrant convicts' daily form of protest against their lot is a persistent call for Donovan, the convict serving a life sentence who remained loyal during the mutiny and went to the assistance of Colonel Turner, the Assistant Prison Commissioner. "Why isn't Donovan here?" is the convicts' cry. Steps are already being taken to reduce tho number of men in the prison, tho plan being for all the old "P.D." men (those undergoing prcventivo detention as habitual criminals) to bo taken elsewhere. Three of them—all oKI "lags" and no longer young like tho desperate characters in D Block — have been sent to Lewes-. Three principal warders have collapsed under tho severe mental strain they have been undergoing and have been granted sick leave.