ROUGH HANDLING ALLEGED

Evening Star, Issue 19855, 2 May 1928, Page 11

ROUGH HANDLING ALLEGED

WARDERS AND BORSTAL ESCAPEE FULL INQUIRY PROMISED [l’m United Press Association.] I.NVKKCAHGILL, Way I. The publication ol ! a report on Monday morning on the authority ol an eye-witness that the youth named h’lanagun, who was recaptured by three warders on Saturday, had been roughly handled and had cried for mercy continues to excite considerable feeling in Invercargill. A second eye-witness of the arrest, which was made a few miles out of town, states: I was within 100yds of tlio scene of the arrest, The first thing the warders did was to search the prisoner. They took off his hat and coat and hit liira from every quarter. I am quite certain the three /arders took part in the attack on the boy.” Ho adds that the youth obeyed the call “Drop that hag and put up your hands,” and made no attempt to run away or resist arrest. This matter was mentioned hy the mayor (Mr J Milier) at the Borough Council meeting to-night. He stated that ho had received two letters alleging ill-treatment of the prisoner who escaped last week. Tho_ letters, together with verbal, complaints, alleged that things wore not just as they should he, and' that, if necessary, the informants would bo prepared to come before a. tribunal to give evidence. The superintendent of the Borstal states that a full inquiry will be made. ESCAPE TOO EASY At a meeting of the Invercargill Borough Council to-night the _ recent escapes from tho Borstal Institution was the subject of some discussion Cr Tapley said that the whole district had been under a reign of terror during tho past few weeks, and from the facts published it appeared that there was sonic justification for the feeling which existed. Tbo simplicity ol the escapes was duo to laxity somewhere. Under tho present system each gang was in charge of one warder, and If a prisoner escaped the warder bad to march the gang back to the institution and make his report. In the meantime the prisoner had amide time to make good his escape. Ho thought they should take action by putting tho matter before the Minister of Justice, asking that for greater _ safety two warders should be placed in charge of each gang. The Mayor (Mr J. Miller) : Are you putting yourself forward as an expert in tho matter of how many warders should be employed \ CTTapley: No. I am simply pointing out tho weakness of the present system in tho interests of the community. After further discussion it was decided to draw tho attention of the Minister to tho matter.