IRISH GAOL BREAKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17956, 5 December 1921, Page 7

IRISH GAOL BREAKERS.

BOLD ATTEMPT FRUSTRATED TWO CONSTABLES MURDERED FIGHT OUTSIDE PRISON. Br Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received 55 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Dec. 2. A sensational attempt to rescue Sinn Fein prisoners from the Londonderry gaol was foiled in the nick of time after heavy fighting between soldiers, police, and civilians. A police patrol noticed a rope ladder outside the wall, and when they entered the gaol after the fight they found the dead bodies of two constables, showing no marks of violence. It appears that the would-be rescuers drove up in motor-.ars at 3 a.m., and simultaneously several prisoners in the cells called for water, overpowered, tied, and gagged the warders, and rushed info the prison yard, where they knocked down and tied up several constables. Meanwhile a police patrol outside the prison interrupted the rescuers, who were throwing a rope ladder over the wall, and found a dozen barefooted prisoners insido ready to climb the ladder. Entering the corridor the police found Constables Little and Gorman dead, handcuffed with theii own handcuffs. It is now certain that the constables were murdered by means of drugged handkerchiefs. The military seized the motor-cars and arrested three civilians ard two warders, and succeeded in forcing back the prisoners to their cells. Eighty-six prisoners in the gaol are now handcuffed, and placed in separato cells.