PLOT IN A GAOL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 27, 1 February 1924, Page 7

PLOT IN A GAOL

TO LET PRISONER ESCAPE

MELBOURNE GANG ON TRIAL.

(BKniß HUH AB^OCIATIOB.—COMKIfiBT.)

; MELBOURNE, 31st January. "Squizzy" Taylor, Michael Costello, Albert Arms, Charles Toolan, and Inomas Taylor were again before the Court.

The Crown Prosecutor, in outlining the case, said that, on 3rd January, Costello approached another warder named Gleeson, and said that if he would arrange to go sick ,the following Saturday he would give (aim £10. Gleeson neither agreed nor declined, but arrived a few minutes late on Saturday. >Jfcthing occurred, but the following Wednesday Costello asked him to go to a hotel, where he would hear of something to his advantage. He went there, and met all the accused, bnt before meeting them he had informed the chief warder of what had occurred.

Later, Costello told him there was'a plot to release -Angus Murray, and. he (Costello) would' go Gleeson halves in what he received. At the hotel plans were arranged for the escape. Two men were to throw a rope ladder.over the gaol wall, and secure Gleeson and Costello, neither of whom would resist. Costello was to show where the keys were hung, and then show the men the position of Murtay's cell, after which he was to be locked up. Another temporary warder was prevailed on by Costello to change shifts, but the Governor of the gaol refused to have two temporary warders on ,duty at the sAme" time. , This threw the plans into confusion. The plans were again altered, the escape then being timed for early on Sunday morning. Gleeson, all the time, keeping the gaol authorities apprised of everything that was going on. I "Squiw.y" TayloT had also arranged for three prisoners in the gaol to help in the escape. One of them was Kelly, who was tried in the Overall case, another was awaiting trial on a charge of murder, and the third was an indeterminate prisoner. ' When a motor-car arrived outside the gaol as aranged, the police arrested the driver and another man, while tit the same time Murray was taken from the exercise yard to a cell.'

An earlier cable stated that the detectives raided a house in the suburbs of Melbourne, and arrested the five men at the revolver point on a charge of unlawfully^ conspiring to aid Angus Murray to escape from Melbourne Gaol. Costello was a warder at the gaol prior to the discovery of the plot.