GLASGOW GAOL RIOT

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1934, Page 5

GLASGOW GAOL RIOT

MORE FIGHTING OCCURS PUNISHMENT RESENTED SEGREGATED CELLS MEN CHRISTMAS DAY BRAWLS By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, Dec. 26. Renewed fighting has occurred in the Barlinnie gaol, Glasgow. The outbreak was on Christmas Day, after which four warders and six prisoners were treated for injuries tn the prison hospital. Warders from the surrounding gaols were rushed to Barlinnie to relieve the local men, who have been on duty night and day since the original trouble, which was due to the long sentence men seeing the remanded prisoners allowed to smoke and becoming incensed when refused a daily cigarette. The ring-leaders were locked in segregated cells. When they were not allowed exercise on Christmas Day they tore pieces of wood from their beds and smashed the cell windows. Sympathisers among the exercising prisoners, when marched in the vicinity of the verandahs surrounding the ringleaders’ cells, attacked the warders. A general melee followed. An official inquiry is certain. Forty prisoners working in a stoneyard downed tools on December 23 and, dashing for a shed where 150 others were working, shouted, “Come on, boys! Now is your chance.” Short-sentence prisoners were unmoved, but about 20 long-term prisoners joined the 40 from the stone-yard and all dashed to the store, where tobacco and cigarettes were kept. Here they were confronted by a solitary warder, who parleyed with them, pretending the affair was a joke. Eventually he opened the store and handed out a few cigarettes and a quantity of tobacco. In the meantime warders removed the other prisoners to their cells and then descended in force upon the raiders, overpowering them. Pandemonium in the cells lasted throughout the night.