VIOLENT PRISONER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7929, 12 October 1911, Page 1

VIOLENT PRISONER

ASSAULTS A WARDER RESULT—SIX MONTHS’ EXTRA GAOL. PEESS ASSOCIATION, AUCKLAND, October 11At the Police Court to-day a big strapping young man, named Frederick Logan, handcuffed and in prison garb, appeared before Air E. C- Cutten, S.M., on a charge of having on September 27th, assaulted, at Mount Eden gaol. Warder R. W. Thompson, and having incited other prisoners to mutiny by calling on them to come to his assistance. Warder Thompson stated that on September 27th he was in charge of • party of prisoners in the stone-cutting yard, and Logan was one of the party. A prisoner asked leaveT to retire and was granted it. When witness turned round ho saw Logan leaving tho yard with a hospital party of prisoners who were going to see tho dispenser. Witness called him back and remonstrated with In'/ti for leaving the yard without permission. ■ Logan said, in a threatening manner, “This is dirt on your part.” Witness told him to put on his coat, as he intended to look him up. He refused and, picking up a wooden straight-edge, threatened to knock witness’s head off. Witness walked up to him and ho struck witness on tho shoulder and arm with the straightedge. Witness closed with him to pull it away. Logan broke away and struck at witness’s head with tho stick and was knocked down by witness with a baton. Witness hit tho prisoner on tho side of the head. While being removed from tho yard, Logan shouted to the other prisoners to help him. “deal with” witness, and used obscene language. Warders Johnston and Campbell came to witness’s assistance, and, on being let up, Logan kicked viciously at witness. Ho called the other prisoners, who did not go to help him, a cowardly lot.

In answer to questions by tho accused, the witness said that ho did ■not remember asking another warder ' about Logan’s work. Ho found fault with his work, but did not poke his baton in Logan’s face and say ho would, teach him to cany complaints to the gaoler. Prisoner’s work was unsatisfactory. Ho could not say whyprisoners wero continually going to ; the gaoler and reporting him witness) : Warder Campbell corroborated what /; the previous witness had said as to Logan making a kick at Thompson. Warder Johnston gave similar ervif- i donee. Warder Donovan deposed that he overheard a conversation in the penal cells between Logan and another prisoner named Smith, in which Smith advised Logan to call, as evidence for him in the inquiry,, any, prisoner that had been reported by Warder Thomp" son, and mentioned Murphy and King as'reliable men. , Tho accused’s defence was that ,■ Warder Thompson was continually , annoying, tantalising, threatening, and , finding fault with him and hia work. He had applied to the gaoler to be removed from the charge of Thompson,, but tho application had been refused. He' had also complained that he had not been permitted to see the visit* ing justices. *. The magistrate convicted tho accused .. and sentenced him to an additional sin months’ imprisonment, and also ordered him to be placed on broad and water for seven days.

Logan was sentenced- to six months’ imprisonment in February last for an assault upon another warder. His original sentence is one of four years for theft.