THE NAPIER GAOL SCANDAL.

Evening Star, Issue 7197, 27 April 1887, Page 3

THE NAPIER GAOL SCANDAL.

[From Odh Parliamentary. Repomkii ]

WELLINGTON, Ahul 27,

Captain Treccp, Resident Magistrate at Napier, has furnished the Minister of Justice with a report of the inquiry which he held on the 16th inat. int > the circumstances attending the death of Douglas Parsonage, a prisoner in the Napier Gaol. Captain Freeze states that tho evidence given by tho pnsoneis at the inquiry differs materially from that grvvn before him as Coroner at tho inquest, especially as regards the calling up »f tho warder ami the arrv.unt of noise mado by Parsonage The majority of the prisoners are now agreed that tho deceased made no noise on the night in question than would be made by any ordinary lunatic prisoner; that neither the gaol nor police officials were aware that deceased wa< subject to fits or paroxysms, and that all were under the impression that tho case was one of ordinary delirium, tremens. Mr Prcece reports that the officers have very long hours on duty, and that a night watch officer is absolutely necessary when there are a number of prisoners. He is of opinion that there are not enough warders in the gaol to take proper care of lunatics who may be admitted on remand, and suggests that an extra warder should be employed. The evidence of all the prisoners examined teads to prove that every attention was paid to tha deceased by the warders and the gaoler, and that no complaints were made against them. The medical officer states that if the gaoler had been properly informed as to the prisoner's mental condition the latter would have been placed in a padded cell in the old lunatic asylum, which is part of the gaol buildings.