THREATENED OUTBREAK IN WELLINGTON GAOL. INTENDED POISONING OF THE OFFICERS AND ESCAPE OF THE PRISONERS. MINISTERIAL INQUIRY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3017, 28 March 1867, Page 5

THREATENED OUTBREAK IN WELLINGTON GAOL. INTENDED POISONING OF THE OFFICERS AND ESCAPE OF THE PRISONERS. MINISTERIAL INQUIRY.

An inquiry into the; plot of jpeirtain Qithe:prisonenr to,. escape, from, this gaoj, under circumstances.' of, . *tyQci%,Veyqn pnrdw oflthe tur«keys,wa» held on the' l6th'inet;ant^ before W. Waring Taylor, Esq., and Edward Pearce, Esq., Visiting Justices. Tho debtors^.rqonrwas prepared for the occasion, and the three $uspeoted prisoners,. Jobn.Riley, James Young, and George Angell, .all heavily ironed, were hrought into the corridor under a strong guard. The [warder of the gaol accused the prisoner! . of, having surrap. titipusly brought files, and a bottle, of aqua fortis into [ the gaol; a]so,: with, ...each and i*U, conspiring to murder thewjurdersj seise the anna, and escape. ' A coflßi'teWei.amoqnfiMpf' evidence was taken William ;flibherfield; a. traitor Ih>j bis comradei, was the first witness called, „#$ .spoke of a. pro* b poaal by Raley. to poison the warders, inpursuance of which Riley ; , made /arrangements • with a ; discharged L named Miohael Rooney^ to ! procure some deadly poison ; t Booney - was dii« charged, on, .the 25th February,, and procured a bottle, which he hid in a entting, where one of ! the hardjjabour gangß were. working ; the bottle wa« ' found by Rjley, cojioealediin one of his boote, and> '< brought in ; Riley suggested to me that some_of the 1 contents of the bottle should be.put into the . warder's j midday tea, and that -two prisoners, named Tricker and Gaffney, must .be made away with j.thejportion > of , the plan allotted; .to me was to get off from the .gang; aa hoo# a*, -the effects of, poison" on. the wagders wer.e "apparent, jmd to make arrangement*. for procuring civil clothes for Riley and Young ; Riley alsotolduine.Jhat Yov»ng,<had m »de a.skeleton il^ey, which l-.have subaequentily seen, with whica ; to open, thejEjatos.pf.the gaol, ao.that the -remainIde^of thftjrison^w. might get. put j after. escaping,, jßiiej, ji,aid,he, u J^ngfUl, and Young would first go to Johns.qnvllle fc there, change their, clothes, and.afterwaMi^rpturniqiowiiiiiauil bnakiinto Mr. Pearoe'a Ivnucb W order to^Jibstaacji.th^key* of his-store ; ' they jatoq, prpppsed. to fireik into" the warder'a house, laßdt.thefi go up country... '» - . Trioker also gave, evidence., o^ ihe subject. . He. i said : - Upon Monday morning l«st, .when the gangs . iwent'out to wj)rk, Mr. Read .and Mr. .Donaldson !came v into, the.gaol and . ordered .me into the yard f while there, Yo,ung,.who w.as in the adjoining yard*, asjteji me wjaatj , the two^ wanted j I told tim I did . nptrknow,; Young then went into a water?ploaet in the penal servitude yard, , and either droppedrttomething jtherein or pulled something, outj he afterwards came oifttiaad spoke to me j he said, " I c*njt make ,out what v Mr.,Read wantftr-can you f\. I saidXoonld not, and he tten wiped down one of the sleeves of Ihis blouse, whichTiad been soiled, and returned to !his work; within a few Mr. Bead went. jaway, and Mr. Donaldson came into the yard, and {■aid, "• There's something ,ux the. gaol, Tricker, liEe la 'meat skewer— yoil must, find' it i.l replied; r , c l|] ithere'is-aiiygame on; Riley and.Y.oungarein.iti'.' mndfw'ent bn'tb' teliwhat 1 had se ( en Young dd,iri the privy ; hfe iotd me to search, and I did so, and fqurid a bottle, which I gave to him ; on the pre« jriou^Priday,, while' we were in .our, .cells, Ealey. said, ;"'How r b —^-y'easy those screws cpuld be hocussed." '[Meaning the turnkeys.] I said it be danger, ous, could not. be managed,, 'especially, 81%^]! 'drank' out of the same copper ;' he replied, "FII geji it'in'tbreir billies." "'' ' i 'Mr; Read :" _, Now tell the Justices what you know , kb^out the prisoner Young ? ' ■ ' " •> , i : The day upofi which the men from'.fljeh ih'ip * City J of poston' were being clothed, igjsMr" 2"onng constantly examining thei^on gate, %ung, - ;he' lock, and making a skeleton key out "of a snialf . piece of iron. When the turnkey^ was , moving : owardsthe direction where he /wjw, and looking at him, he pretended to be working at hw p^oper.woijltjjj buf when Kis ba"6k wa\ turived hq would labour^ kway at making his key." # " "'^ /^, Thia condlnded the evidence. Thepr^pnerijprg.^ jested their innocence. Riley said : Idp^notdeny^ hat 1 L' asked Eoonej to get a bdttle of »Qua fpjti*, , but »ftad no intention of hocoflsing drink ; Jiomr '. wantecl J ta get rid, of my "irons, but was so r strietil£ ' watched that I could not. / ; ' ,[ : ,; <After some 'consultation, Riley was .sentenced . lo receive' forty- lashe>; to 'be imprisoned tor a ,tEe^ . pace of fourteen day's pn ftread and" ta.be ' 1 ocked-up in the dark cell ' fOTty-eight hours; and 'be ' keWinirous ; Young -to 1 ifeceire theTiame punuhi"' Lent with thd exception orTtKeJuhesj and 1 o remain in irons. v " , ( ,/' The' corporal punishment to be inflicied upon RJley^ , 1 ras administered on Tuesday morning; T^e'fog-," ling was * most severe one, beingadmaistered. ( J Sraotised hand; arid rtiMlante^ad-'to '^be giy^nfto 4^ ihWprisoneir in order to enable him to endure* the ± iilmber of 1 Wsb^es' ordered "to Him.— Wanganui^ 'iJhr&nicle: <• Il'I 1 ' ",' ',' ", \ 'v '"•->< Tbp Wellingtoi A'dvertisft states that the prisone*^ 1 pore tKe flogging.stoically/" ' ' '. '» • \*

• ! Advice to ladies with ktitijy 'm^XMuMh bowling illeyvaud you will iUMto"g« ptany of pin'moxiey.