STRIKE OF PRISONERS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 94, 20 April 1912, Page 9

STRIKE OF PRISONERS

EESIDENTS NEAR GAOL COMPLAIN. STATEMENT BY DR. HAY. [BY lILIGfcAPH-— SPECIAL TO THX POST.] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. There was a good deal of comment in Lyttelton yesterday by people resid-. ing .in clo-ac proximity to the gaol regarding the conduct of ;i number of prisoners who had received terms of solitary confinement as the* result of Monday's strike. Throughout Thursday night and_ in the early hours of the morning th© residents suffered considerable annoyance by the prolonged yells and howls of the men confined in the solitary quarters. ■ Tho departmental enquiry, as far as the visiting Justices are concerned, has concluded, but Dr. Hay, Inspector of ' Prisons, and the Rev. J. L. Kayll are continuing their investigations," which will in all probability conclude to-mor-row. Dr. Hay has stated that the : trouble waß not as serious as was at first anticipated. The whole trouble could be traced to a few notorious individuals, who had. frightened th© others into taking th« course that they had decided on. That this was th«, case- was borne out at the enquiry,- for the majority of th© Erisoners practically admitted that they ad no grievance, but had been prompted by the ringleaders. The recalcitrants had btieft summarily dealt with. Asked in regard to the disturbances in the "solitary" cells during the past few days, Dr. Hay stated that the trouble was confined to v three individuals, one of whom was suffering from delirium tremeni*. The* other two prisoners would soon get tired of indulging in such practices.