TERRACE PRISON

Northern Advocate, 14 July 1925, Page 2

TERRACE PRISON

OLD INCIDENTS EE CALLED. RUSES AND ESCAPES.

The first addition made to the old Terrace Gaol Wellington (the northern wing of which has been levelled to die ground as a further step in the preparation of the site of the new Te Aro j School), was the chapel wing, which continues south in alignment with the t old building. This <chapel is not more f than some 18 feet in width and about 26 feet in length, bears a "churchy" appearance in the Gothic ideas carried out in its,-doors and ceiling, but really it is only part of the main corridor through the gaol premises, for on either side of the chapel are thirteen small cells, about half the size of those provided in the more modern building- ii to which it leads. This is the big threestorey brick structure which can be seen from almost any point of the southern half of Te Aro flat. It is a kind of roofed-in quadrangle, with an interior gallery running completely round each of the three floors. Here fifty prisoners are housed in big airy cells, each one of which has a. greater air and floor space than the cells into whieh three men used to be thrust in the old days. These cells are lighted from above with electric lamps—iwith the switch 011 the outside —so that the inspecting warders may light up a cell at any time of the night to watch the prisoner, if such a course is considered necessary. For that purpose there are small peep-holes in each cell door on a level with the average man's eyes.

Even this building, now some 24 years old, will sooner or later have to be demolished to make way for the proposed school, as it is of such a peculiar form of construction that it could not be adapted to educational purposes. At the rear of the building is- the old store-house (a two storey wooden building within which both Cooper and Tuhi were hanged less than two years ago), workshops, kitchen, and exercise yards for the prisoners.

How many thousands of weary, shuffling feet have passed over those door ways leading to the recreation yards? The stout wooden doorsteps are worn down over an inch from the original level, and the governor of the gaol, Mr J. Seanlon, informed a '' Dominion'' representative that they had been renewed during his time. As it was in the luncheon'hour when the reporter

inspection was made, there were no

prisoners about. Those who had been working aboiit the grounds had been called in by the warder's whistle and ushered to their cells, where their dinners were handed in to them. One would imagine that the men would eat in a common room; but, no, each J r -aii eats alone in the seclusion of his cell. The reporter was desirous of ing the kitchen, and Mr Seanlon willingly gave permission. It is situated in one of the old outbuildings, not very pretentious or up-to-date, it is true, bu everything within' and about it was specklessly clean, and all the tinware shone with the lustre of polished silver.,. On , one side of the kitchen was ■a "huge stove : for the baking and the

roasting, and in the game line two large

coppers, from which'.' steam arose. On lifting the lid one Was found to be half-filled with porridge in the making for the evening meal, and in the other was hot water for the tea (served without milk), and for the wash-up. Dinner is served at mid-day, and it a real dinner; that is to say, the specimen showed the reporter was quite sufficient for <anv man. This was nrc dinner that was being kept warm on the heating rack above the stove for a man who was working away from the Terrace Gaol, but who would return there at 4.30. p.m. It consisrted of a liberal supply of roast beef, potatoes, and cabbage, beautifully cooked. In addition to this the man was entitled to his allowance of bread and his pannikin of tea. POWELKA. 'S EXPLOITS.

The visit to the big exercise yard reminded Mr Seanlon of the exploit:of Joseph Powelka, of Palmerston North, who managed to scare the countryside, and who was finally sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment after an affray in which a policeman was shot, by whom it was never quite made clear. Though Powelka was blamed for it, many believed that the fatal shot was « fired by another man altogether. Powelka was lodged in the first cell on the ground floor (west side) of the new prison building, and through connivance on the part of someone he war supplied with the means to saw through the bars and the steel frame of the | window. The framework he drew within the cell, and during tlie process of sawing the bars (which must have taken some days) he used to cover the aperture with brown paper neatly painted over to the colour of the bars. Having successfully cut away every ob-

stacle he was making his way towards freedom when a patrolling warder on the outside happened to look round, and to his great amazement saw two long thin legs dangling in the air the cell window. He at once rushed his man, and Powelka was soon safe, cr seemingly so, under lock and key.

But Powelka was a man of marked determination and persistence. He was not going to take his sentence lying down; and it could not be determined who had supplied him with the tools for his first attempted escape. Still, he was not without friends within the prison, as subsequent? events proved, for early on a Sunday morning, Axigust 11, 1911, he succeeded in getting clear away from the Terrace Gaol, and was never re-arrested. The gaol authorities do not know whether he is alive or '-lead, but there is a certain theory about the fate of this man, for at* tn» time of his arrest and incarceration he had one lung only, and was not by •» l iy means a strong, healthy man. Powelka escaped when caged in a special cell. near the gaoler's office, and just within the main entrance to the gaol, where he could be kept under obgservation

practically the whole time. He had to get through four walls, and he did so — with the connivance of some person unknown. Powelka, left to himself, could not possibly have escaped from the cell. This had been especially fitted with a window protected by a frame of solid iron bars screwed solidly into the sides —from without. Even had he been provided with a screw-driver Powelka could not have used it from the inside, even after removing the window, for the screws were put in from the outside purposely, so that they could not be meddled with from within. Those screws were removed and the bars were taken out. The prisoner came through the window, and stole out through one of the front doors, and over the roof | of the old officers' quarters to freedom. MAN DOWN THE WELL.

In the centre of one of the exercise yards there is a square, marked out in the concrete floor, the only evidence that formerly a well existed at tho spot. It then had a wooden cover, on which one could stand to work the pump; and it needed some working, for the well was eighty feet deep, and it was over forty feet to the level of the water. After mustering one evening it was found that one prisoner was missing. As soon as this was discov- . ercd the other prisoners were hustled into their cells and a minute search jwas made of the premises, every-nook i and cranny of the gaol and ground being searched without any result. The j warder on duty on the overhead platform testified that he had been on the alert, and was positive that no man had scaled the fences, which, from his point of vantage, could be clearly seen. One lof the warders then thought of the well. It did not seem a likely hiding place, but when the, covers were taken off the man was found clinging to the pipe halfway down to th« water. He was half dead by the time they got | him up, and was devoutly thankful foi j being rescued, as he could never have | got up to ;the surface by himself, being | half paralysed with the searching cold | of his damp retreat.

It is at present proposed to demolish the very fine brick-built residence of thirteen rooms, which stands in its own grounds at the northern end of the prison property, commanding a magnifcent view of the harbour. The view has been expressed that this fine two.£:toreyed residence, which would cost about £4000 to erect today, should be utilised in some way in 'connection with tlie school of the future, as it is considered too costly a job to destroy. The residence was built by prison labour for the governor of the prison during the time the late Mr Patrick Garvev held that position. The site is one of the best in Wellington, and the building could be adapted for many purposes of an educational character.