CONVICTS MUTINY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13497, 25 May 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

CONVICTS MUTINY.

WARDENS PELTED WITH TiT-Q^ . I GLASS. *** I -Wormwood Sottas Gaol, in tire WSJ . „ .'"■■■ London, has been the scene of some «*«. I tional incidents, which, not without W*' I fkation, are feared to point to open routW amongst this strange world of the wfewj , For some time the spirit of mischief w-rt , to have held sway, and at length to Cr. [broken out into rebellion. The fi m , ' Jgestion of real trouble occerred toward* tK •jend of March. In the evening » convict *'?' i working as a shoemaker on the fourth &<■! ' .of this huge prison-in which day i a tr •year out justice holds captive between ICCn (and 1400 unfortunate being*— was temper** ily let out of his cell. Breaking away f EO ' the warder, he ran along the «X - | seizing a chain which worked the ventUat! 1 ing apparatus, he climbed up it like * trm ?' [key. Working in his cell mending boots C ' 1 was, of course, provided with tools,-«j/ jhaving hidden under his clothes a hammi* * [he used this to smash the fixed glass *kv! I Slight that gave him access to free "air "V&t ' § noise of the falling glass-brought u»*nlui I jof warders, but they were held at bay. Xfi* I convict comfortably secured his position f •by the skylight, and, broadly grinning <J«. f fled the warders to capture him. 1» \j,J ■ moved he stopped their progress wjtjj { iwell-aimed piece of glass. Having exbatnt. I led this, he hammered the tiles into pktn 'and used these as ammunition. This vtai jon until everything that was within ha ireach being expended, he quietly surrenderjed. He had been master of the situation for over half an hour. Later the eonvjct««, whose exploit was rewarded with the «d» miration of his friends in misfortune— M taken before the governor, who, however considered the matter so serious that he ] remanded thet man to be dealt with by tie ! committee of visiting just-ices. Cm a sub*. ■ ] quent morning from 100 to 120 ' prison I were patrolling the exercise yard under the ! supervision of four warders only. J) U j. denly, as if by a pre-arranged signal, thi shoemaker-convict stepped front the file ml • threw his cap into the air. Then he a*. sumed an" IMrTJBE.VT ATTITUDE OF DEFIANCE. . ' Inspired by this, the other convict* broke out into open insubordination, and became menacing. . The officers sounded their whistles, and other warders rushing upon the scene, dragged them into the gaol, whew they were locked in their cells. Later the jsame morning another convict ran wild. He I bad been transferred from another gaol land was classified as a "dangerous" man! | Making a dash for a waste-pipe that ran up the building, lie quickly mounted this until he whs some 50ft from the ground. There he remained. A well-directed stream of water from a fire hose, however, remind* ed him that ne would be more secure if hede* scended, and he came down in a hurry. The convicts became absolutely ungovernable, and in the end the governor had to resort to severe measures. By his orders two men ware placed in irons, pending the 'visiting justices' award of the punishment they merited, and others were ordered three days' confinement in their cells, with a diet ' lof bread and water. They also forfeited a number of their remission marks, which means that their stay in gaol will be- more prolonged than if their conduct had been good. . It is a noteworthy fact that the mutiny broke out after the convicts had attended Divine service in the chapel in the morning, and so serious had it become by the afternoon that chapel-going was then dispensed with. Much of the trouble is distinctly traceable to the fact that the Erison is understaffed, as may be gathered y the statement that with a thousand i convicts attending the chapel the guard only i consists of 21 warders. On Sundays only half of the staff is on duty, and it was only' 'by the promptitude with which the official!' - acted that a plot was fortunately discover;ed and promptly dealt with. "I have witnessed many similar scenes,"'confided ,an [ office;-, "but none so serious as this. It looked at first as if we could not quell th' • men. We were very lucky to do so." • ■ -"'■ .. M . : '•■■•'.