CONVICT MUTINY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 128, 22 February 1908, Page 11

CONVICT MUTINY.

THE BORSTAL SYSTEM. A DARTMOOR RIOT. Dartmoor Prison was the scene on a recent Sunday of a succession of savage assaults upon warders. Under the Borstal system of treatment, Captain Guyon, the governor, invited a concert party from Plymouth to render a musical. programme at the prison on Sunday afternoon for tho enjoyment of the convicts. It was intended to hold the concert in the prison infirmary, but when tho visitors . arrived. they were informed that owing to a serious* accident the doctors were engaged in attending to cases of severe injury, and the ovont took place in'the Protestant Church. , By . order of the governor only those prisoners who w_ere accustomed to attend tho regular sorvices wero admitted to the concert, and this' involved disappointment to nearly 300 of the 1200 convicts who are at Dartmoor. Either for this reason or because of tho faot that a large number of warders were required efficiently to guard the concert audience, the opportunity was seized by some of the remaining prisoners to behave in a most violent and troublesome manner. Following upon two separate assaults on warders, while partiesof convicts were parading for exercise after dinner, an alarming outbreak took place at four o'clock, at which time the concert was in progress. It is asserted that this last scene of disorder was preconcerted and formed the sequel to the assaults committed earlier in tho day. A party of about sixty convicts was being escorted from the Catholic chapel to No. 4 prison. They were under the'supervision of Assistant Warders Bailey and Birch, both of whom figured prominently in protecting Assistant Warder Somers from attack earlier in the afternoon. When the party reached the prison they were drawn up before being sent to their respective wards. ATTACK ON WARDERS. It was at this period that the mutiny began. A convict named Henry Johnson appeared to be the ringleader. Ho suddenly sprang from the ranks and struck Birch a severe blow. Bailey at once went to'the .'assistance of the other officer, but about a dozen prisoners participated in the attack. Both warders were thrown to the ground and kicked severely, and missiles of all kinds were hurled at them, including water-jugs, coal, and cpke. .In addition a quantity of ashes from a dust-bin were emptied over the prostrate warders. A number of warders outside the'messroom heard the alarm, and, proceeding to the hall, saw a scene of indescribable disorder. Seeing their approach—with fixed bayonets, it. is asserted—one of the convicts shouted "Look out; guard coming." ■ The convicts at once desisted- from their attack on the other .warders and rushed pell-mell, to" their cells, where they wero promptly locked in. This action on their part made it difficult to ascertain those who were actual participants in the assault.

Meanwhile it was evident that Birch and Bailey haid been severely treated.' They wero picked up from the floor covered with blood and almost unconscious. Dr. Forward was called, and after bandaging their wounds ordered their detention in the infirmary. Bailey is reported to be in a precarious condition. Ho is almost unrecognisable, and it is feared he'will lose ,the sight of one eye.

The ifisubordination was continued next day. The. prisoners concerned in the mutiny had to submit to, medical examination by Dr. Murray before going governor, in order that it might, bo ascertained 1 what punishment they wero physically able to bear. Whilo Dr. Murray was examining . Convict Benjamin Evans, the latter deliberately, struck the doctor a savago blow on the nose, causing the blood to flow freely and also discolouring his eyes. A number of men were brought before the governor of the prison later on and remanded, to bo -dealt with by the visiting magistrates;- -; ,