A DESPERATE CONVICT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 930, 21 October 1879, Page 2

A DESPERATE CONVICT.

The New York journals contain an account of an exciting scene with a tragic ending at Sing Sing, the great forced-labour prison of the State of New York, which was very near resulting m a general insurrection among the convicts. Barrett, a burglar, twentyone years of age, undergoing a three years' sentence, had been shamming sickness. The prison doctor declared him quite fit for the work upon which he was engaged. The next morning, as the doctor was passing one of the cells, where unruly convicts are kept apart, the door of the cell being partly open, Barrett threw the foul contents of the bucket m the doctor's face, saying " I'll see if you won't give me a (sick) ticket." For this he was " padded "— i.e., beaten with a leathern strap by the chief keeper or warder. He refused to submit, and had to be held down by main force. He was then placed m irons, and locked up m his cell. Next morning two officers were despatched to bring him from the cell for medical inspection. He kept his hands m his pockets. Being ordered to take them out of his pocket and fold them, one of the officers saw he had m one hand some bright instrument. The officer struck at him with a cane, calling out to warn his comrade, but too late, Barrett plunged the sharpe knife deep into the thigh of the latter, and, springing up, fled. An exciting chase followed. When found at last m one of the workshops of the iron foundry" he was armed with a heavy hammer and some iron fragments. When the officers called on him to surrender, he defied them. One of the officers named Good approached, intending to seize him, and covered him with a revolver. Barrett hurled one of the sharpiron fragments at Good, narrowly missing him. Good fired, but missed ; and Barrett, who never quailed before the shot, jumped through a window, and the chase began anew. At last he was brought to bay m- the very room where he usually worked, and m the midst of his comrades, who naturally became much excited, and cheered the rebel. Once more called upon the surrender. Barrett demanded that all should be forgiven. The chief warder said it was out of his power to make such a promise. Then Brrrett refused to submit, and began to swing his hammer at the warder. At this critcial moment the dinner bell rang. In a few minutes all the convicts would be released from work, and all the chances were m favor of the supposition that Barrett's conduct would incite to a general revolt. The men m the shop, 200 m number, broke up from work, surrounded the officers, jeering them, screaming, cheering^ and swearing. * An officer made a rush at Wtrretfc, but the latter raised his hammer and would have probably brained him had not another warder fired at the convict. His hands were up, and he fell forwards. He was dead. The effect was instantaneous. The scowling and mutinous convicts instantly fell back into line, terrified at the death of their comrade, and m a moment order and silence were restored.