A BREAK FOR LIBERTY

Evening Star, Issue 16196, 18 August 1916, Page 5

A BREAK FOR LIBERTY

—'.. » PRISONERS ATTACK WARDER, Several prisoners of the Terrace Gaol at Wellington savagely attacked a warder a few days ago, placing him hors do combat temporarily, and securing his keys. The however, were overpowered and placed in cells. The occurred on Saturday afternoon. Three of the men concerned have long sentences. The four were engaged with other prisoners in the work toom where manufacturing; operations are carried on when the outbreak occurred, and tho latter looked on without interfering. As far as can bo gathered, at a preconcerted signal a rush was made on the warder, who was supervising the operations, and he was struck a heavy blow on the head with some improvised' weapon, so that he fell senseless to the floor. His keys wero taken from him, and a rush was made downstairs to tho outer door. A key was fitted into it, but it, \v:is also looked on the outside, so thai, the prisoners wero foiled. Back up the stairs again they tore in desperate anxiety, and after passing through an inner door endeavored to get access to another part, of the gaol, from which they hoped to make an exit; but the door they had to get through was also double-locked, communication from the oilier side being necessary. As tho prisoners were searching round for other avenues of escape, a number of warders suddenly broke in, and speedily overpowered the culprits, placing them in soecial cells. BEFORE THE COURT. WELLINGTON, August 18. Sensational evidence was lizard at the .Magistrate's Court to-day, when George Crowther. Hector M'.Lcan, Chas. Hazeldine, and John Campbell Birch, the four prisoners who. attempted to escape from the Terrace Gaol on (Saturday last, were charged that, with intent 'to commit crime, they did by violent means render Charles Edward Spittall, a warder, incapable of resistance. The evidence showed that M'Lean attacked Spittall while the. latter was attending to a radiator in the room in which, the clothes are made. One of the other prisoners also assisted him, and he was rendered unconscious. When he came to he was bound and gagged, but managed to crawl on his hands and knees to an electric bell. Assistance came, and the prisoners were recaptured in the store room at the point of a revolver. They had opened one door, and found another, but they still had two doors to force before regaining their liberty. The assault was evidently committed by sandbags, two of which were produced in court. The prisoners pleaded "not guilty," and were committed for trial.