NEW CALEDONIAN ESCAPEES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6533, 3 February 1882, Page 6

NEW CALEDONIAN ESCAPEES.

The Brisbane Courier, of Jan. 18, contains particulars of the scene at the Courthouse there when eight New Caledonian eioapeos, Jean Pierre Murry, Jean Maroolini Deiohanol, Prospor Guillemard, Eugene Legrin, Jean Bonflis, Jacques Savory, Ohristophe Onegaino (Frenohmen), and Vincenzo Balbi (Italian), were brought up on remand, oharged on suspicion of having escaped from New Caledonia, being at the time in the legal custody of the French author.ties. Mr J. Keane (from the Crown Solicitor's office), appeared to prosecute, and Mr Swanwiok appeared for the prisoners. In accordance with information reoeived from New Caledonia, warrants under the hand and seal of Sir Arthur Kennedy, had been prepared for the arrest of eaoh of the prisoners, ohargiog them with haying asoaped from the legal custody of the Frenon authorities at New Caledonia, while undergoing terms of imprisonment, and calling upon them to show cause why they should not be sent back to that place. The prisoners were led up from the cells situated on the right hand side of the Police Court buildings, one at a time, and plaoed in the dook. Eaoh time a prisoner was plaoed in the dook Mr Keane said he bad no evidenoe to offer, and Mr Swanwiok, who appeared for all of them, applied for the man's disoharge. When the first prisoner entered the dock Mr Swanwiok said something to him in French, and as he was leaving he again addressed him. The publio who were in Court, on the first man being discharged, went in a body to the door through which the prisoners had to pass. At the same time, the Polioe Magistrate, addressing their counsel, said that he had done wrong to speak to his client in tho dook, and when walking out of Court, telling him to run away as quiokly as he oould. If ho had instructions to give, those instructions should have been given before the man oame into Court. Mr Swanwiok replied' that he had done nothing outside of his provinoe as a counsel, and that he was entitled to say what he liked to his client. To this Mr Pinnook retorted that it was not within his province to say what he had said, and incite the men to create a disturbance in Court.

The prooess of discharging the prisoners went on, Mr Swanwiok still speaking to them in their language. As the.third man was leaving the dook, Sub-Inspector Douglass, who was seated at the table, addressed the Bench, drawing attention to what Mr Swanwiok had said in Frenoh, whioh was advice to strike the police. Mr Swanwiok said nothing, and the process of disoharge went on. Three of the deteotives—Anderson, Grimshaw, and Timains—stood on the publio stairs and as each prisoner oame read the warrant for his arrest, whioh was translated to him, and proceeded to take him into custody. The first five men struggled more or less, but were seoured and taken down to a narrow passage on the left side of the building, and level with the street. There are cells opening into it, but instead of putting the prisoners into them, they were thrust into the passage one by one, and the door closed on them. This door is a flimsy affair, made with ordinary half-inch boards, and fastened with an iron bolt. Five of the desperate men, inflamed, no doubt, with the hope of liberty, inspired by their counsel's suggestions, and knowing what fate awaited them if returned to New Caledonia, were thus left loose in the passage. The sixth prisoner, a man of strong build, struggled desperately when re-arrested, and his captors had great difficulty in dragging him to the door of the patsage. They opened it to thrust him in also, and then the five from within rushed in a body to get out. Seniordetective Anderson was severely and dangerously kicked and beaten about the head; Grimshaw was doubled up by a blow in the abdomen, and his leg was jammed between the door and the wall in the. struggle. After a furious contest they overpowered the Frenchmen, drove them back into the passage, and again closed the door. - The polioe had now got six desperate and maddened men loose in the passage, and they were about to add a seventh when the Frenohmen made a renewed attempt to break out. They smashed the door open, and again engaged in conflict with the police, who armed themselves with fragments of the broken door, batons and broom handles, and opposed the escape. The seventh Frenchman did not join his comrades, because by this time it had occurred to the police to take the simple precaution of ÜBing handcuffs, and he had been thus secured. The poor wretohes inside the. passage were past all control yelling like fiends, and defying the police with their naked fists and fragments of splintered wood. Senior-Sergeant Owens made his appearance on the soene with a six-chambered revolver, and after the Frenohmen had been duly warned that they would be shot if they attempted to get away, he fired a shot into the passage, whioh did not hit anyone. Meanwhile, polioe reinforcements amounting to about 20 men oame from the Boma street barraoks and the streets. All the entrances to the building were seourely locked, and two constables armed with revolvers were plaoed on guard. The arrangements being complete, the large body of polioe whioh had assembled rußhed the six men, who fought long and desperately, kicking, striking and biting their captors. They were in a terrible state, and some covered with blood when finally seoured. One man, who was choking with the blood that poured from his head, was put under the tap. Ultimately, the prisoners were seoured in separate cells, and plaoed under the guard of the polioe.

While this battle was in progress in the lower part of the building, the proceedings in the Court were suspended. When the noise ceased they were resumed by Mr Pinnook, who, addressing Mr Swanwiok, told him that Sub-Inspector Douglass had stated in open Court that he (Mr Swanwiok) had advised his clients in French to strike the police. This statement had not been denied. Mr Bwanwick replied that Sub-luspeotor Douglass knew nothing of French, and that he would not answer a hearsay charge. What he did say bore this meaning:—He informed his client that if the polioeman struok him or interfered with him, he was to strike the polioeman in return. To this the Polioe Magistrate made no rejoinder until Mr Keane, who had been absent, returned. He then said he would adjourn the case in order that he might consult the Attorney-General as to the legality of the prooedure. On this Mr Swanwiok asked if the prisoners were to be damnified bcoause Mr Pinnook did not know the law. Then the Magistrate told him that he would no longer hear him as counsel for the prisoners. After this interchange the eighth prisoner was brought up to go through the prooess of disoharge, and Mr Swanwiok, rising from the table, leaned over the dook and spoke to him. The magistrate at onoe interposed, telling him that as he had rofused to hear him he would not allow him to address the prisoners. Mr/ Swanwiok remarking : " Well, then, I shall take it upon myself, and I shall speak to the prisoner," turned to him again. The magistrate ordered a constable to remove Mr Bwanwiok, who, as the polioeman approaohed him, left the Court slowly. As he reaohed the door he turned, and, addressing the magistrate, said : «' You remember, I pro*?* 6 against the treatment lam roceiving. Mr Pinnook merely said: " Very well," and, addressing the polioe, warned them on no aooount to let Mr Swanwiok go down to the prisoners in their cells. The latter, however, was on his way down to the cells when he was met by Senior-Sergeant Owens, revolver in hand, who turned him baok, saying he had orders from Commissioner Seymour not to allow him to pass. The eighth prisonor was re-arrested without any resistance, and duly confined.