DRIVEN MAD IN GAOL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3657, 19 October 1912, Page 12

DRIVEN MAD IN GAOL.

\M\ZING TREATMENT OF A PRISONER.

/The “Petit Parisien” of August 23 tolls a strange story of the Santo prison last July a man known, as \lf red Durand was Arrested and imprisoned at the Sante for theft, caiij?nJ of prohibited, weapons, and rebellion A few days later it was discovered that his real name was Laurent, and that he had recently been in n penitentiary colony m the Lot-et Garonne, where lie was consicLiec and incorrigible cliaracte . E?ght days after his arrival at the prison it was found necessary to conline him to a cell fov striking one of his fellow prisoners. In a fit of an ei Laurent smashed everything m the cell, and, as lie tried to hit the warriors lie' was put in irons. "allthese are playthings,” he rcrn.rheeh And sure enough, the next day alien the warders opened his cell they found that he had . succeeded somehow m freeing bis wrists ailCI UlllvrCS. On August 22 three warders went to the cell to put him m irons again. The prisoner, howled and stiugg violently. Hie order was then given for a solution of chloride of lime t > be brought. This was spread all over the walls of the cell, and the window and door hermetically closed. l'lom nine o’clock in the morning to seven at ni"ht the cell was not entered on special orders. Then the warders grew anxious at hearing no sound coming from the cel!, for as a rule Laurent howled and cursed 1 rOTn morning till night. They opened the door. The prisoner was lying unconscious on the floor, overcome by L, fumes of the disinfectant. With chinculty they brought him back to conscionsness, but tbe chloride of lime,far from having the calming result desired by the chief warder, had produced the opposite effect. Laurent is now a raving madman. The report of the doctor who examined him bodes trouble for the chief warder.