DARTMOOR MUTINY

Evening Star, Issue 22572, 13 February 1937, Page 30

DARTMOOR MUTINY

APPEAL FOR AMNESTY The ‘ Manchester Guardian ’ recently received a copy of the following appeal concerning men who were sentenced after the Dartmoor Prison mutiny:— At a special Assize Court held at Princetown in the month of May, 1932, 23 men were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for the part they had played in the mutiny at Dartmoor Prison in January, 1932. One of these sentences was for 12 yehrs’ penal servitude, two were for 10 years, three were for eight years, and the rest varied from six months to six years. Imposed on top of sentences already being served by the mutineers, they involved men in serving a? much as 18 years’ penal servitude. One mutineer, T. Davies, was tried apart from the other mutineers at Exeter Assize Court ; he was given 12 years’ penal servitude for wounding with a razor one of the prison officers two days before the mutiny. One man by the name of Ibbotson, iyho had only a few months to serve to finish a four years’ sentence, was given an additional 10 j’cars. It sent him mad, and he is now in Broadmoor Asylum. It may be argued that the cases, of these men have been tried before juries of their fellow countrymen, and that therefore it is idle to draw attention at this date to the conditions in Dartmoor Prison is a reproach to national decency, and that being so society is not entitled to exact too harsh a penalty from men who have violated laws which are based as much upon the code of morality as of expediency. An opportunity approaches for an amnesty for these unfortunate men. At the last two Coronations considerable remissions of sentences were granted to prisoners. Is it too much to adk that at the forthcoming Coronation the suffering of these men shall not be forgotten ? It may be hoped that those happy members of society who will celebrate the Coronation with flags will not grudge the celebration of it with freedom for a score of men less happy than themselves. The appeal is signed by Anthony Asquith, Oliver Baldwin, Princess Antoine Bibesco. Fenner Brockway, S. R. Elliott, Victor Gallancz, Storm Jameson, Compton Mackenzie. Ethel Mannin, Tom Mann, James Maxton. M.P., Ivor Montague, Henry W. Nevinson, Lady Oxford and Asquith, Harry Pollitt, D. N. Pritt, K.C., M.P., Sir James PurvesStewart, Basil de Selincourt, Rev. H. J{. L. Sheppard, Sir John Squire, and H. G. Wells.