MOUNT EDEN GAOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1398, 11 May 1868, Page 3

MOUNT EDEN GAOL.

SAVAGE ASSAULT UPON A WARDER. A most brutal assault upon tho life of ii warder in the Mount Eden Gaol wus made on tr : aturduy afternoon. The circumstances of this outrage are of » character to arouao the attention of the authorities to every precautionary expedient to '. prevent desperate men from hiving recourse to violence at their own pleasure. We aro enabled to lay before our readers tho following circumstantial account of this affuir, which irmy bo relied upon ns the result of onquires made at tho Gaol.

There is in the now division of Mount Eden Oaol nineteen prisoners awaiting trial for criminal offences. In t:;o fame division.are confined debtors and females. Souin of those persons awaiting trial nro old convict*, and men of tho most violent and desperate character, as the sequel will show. There are but three officers in charge—one who is stationed at the front g:ite, another on the platform behind tho establishment, and .the third iu charge of tho prisoners within the building. On Saturday afternoon, about lmlf-past threo, Warder .ndrew Dunn, when iocking up the prisoners, observed that one of them was bwhaving in a manner that looked suspicious. The name of this prisoner ia Goldsmith, who was comiuittol for trial for an not of highway robbery on the North Hoad. This man was observed to loiter behind, us if intent upon some purpose of insubordination. Iwo other prisoners, named Bryant and Korsting—the same ruffians who recently committod the s:ivago assault upon Jlr. Onlay in Symonde-sheet—were locked up with other prisoners in one of tho cells into which Goldsmith looked Dunn suspected that Goldsmith might htivo passed something into tho cell. The warder also looked in, and while so engaged he was seized from behind by Goldsmith, an I throttled. lie was thrown down, when Bryant and Kerating rushed out of their cell, closing the door on the other prisoners. Tho object was to prevent any assistance' from being given to D:inn. Having garotted the officer in the manner described, they proceeded to, riflo his pockets. ' r hoy took from hie pocket two sovereigns ia gold, und eight shillings and a gild- ring from hie finger. The purpose of these men is disclosed by the fact that upon examination it was found they'had made ropes of their blankote. Dunn very soon became unconscious, and his assailants succeeded in tying his hand-i, and having ill used in various ways, by covering his mouth, they kicked him brutally in the stomach. The unfortunate man, however, was enabled to make his cries heard by another prisjnor named Twohey who at once ran to his assistance. The conduct of this man who is called a billet hand —that is, a prisoner who is employed about the Gaol —is deserving of the greatest praiee, and we trust he will not go unrewarded. He found Kersting on tho landing with an axe, which had been obtained from the cook-houve, in his hand, which he succeeded in wresting from the villian's hands. Hβ succeeded in obtaining assistance, and secured the asetiilants of Dunn until constublo Martin and other officers came up and overpowered them. Doctor Philson was sent for, and Commissioner Naughton arrived after a lapse of about twenty minutes. It vras found that Dunn had been greatly abused, but though injured, the injuries were not of a dangerous kiod. The poor man was quite speechless and utterly unable to give any thin,' like h complete account of the affair. Dunn was removed to his Quarters and his wants attended to. To prevent a recurrence of such attacks, a blacksmith was sent for to Newmarket and the prisoners were heavily ironed and removed to the criminal eide of the Gao land placed in solitary confinement. An examination of the prisoners was at once instituted. It wis elicited that Kersting had been seen to throw the ring away. Bryant had also been , observed to throw awav some silver. It was alleged that ho had swallowed tho two sovereigns which would he not a very remarkable exploit by a man of such determined characte'j

The atrocity of this assault would suggest the propriety of using precautionary measures to frustrate the purpoe»s of such violent men. Both Bryant and Kersting are old convicts, and the only security that can be taken for control of aueh pereons is to iron them, and trent every convict of such known character, according to what might reasonably be expected of them. Yesterday his Honor the Superintendent, accompanied by Mr. Comiuis'ioner Naughton, visited the gaol, and examined several prisoners, but nothing further than we have above narrated was elicited. It is well known that the number of warders is much less than the need of such an establishment requires, and complaints havo been made that officers have been kept on duty as many as eighteen hours out of the twenty-four. The Government may poaaibly be from what hue happened, to appoint a few more warders, to relieve those at present, who are at preaont admittedly over-worked. If this or some other effective precaution be not taken, wo may shortly have to record something more serious thun even this assault. Warder Dunn yesterday was unablo to leave his bed, but we are glad to say his injuries ore not seriona.