THE DUNEDIN GAOL ENQUIRY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2743, 14 July 1883, Page 3

THE DUNEDIN GAOL ENQUIRY.

[By Tblbobaph.] OnEisioiiußon, July 13. The Danedin gaol enquiry was continued 1 to-day at Lytteltoo. 1 Chief Warder Ferguson stated he had been ' employed m Dunedin Gaol from 1867 to 'JlBBl. .

Mr Whitefoord read a letter from witnes to the Inspector of Prisons, dated Marcl 22nd, 1883, requesting an enquiry anc stating that Principal Warder Duncan wa answerable for all punishments inflicted ; als' that. Duncan was not a fit person to havi uncontrolled power. Dndnr examination, witness laid he had nc doubt Duncan had given blasting powder t< prisoners. Ho was m charge of the prisor hospital from 1877. He considered Dunear did not use judgment m reporting prinonen for idleness. Mr Caldwell once spoke tc witnoss about not reporting prisoners and said the Justices thought he could nol be doing his duty. fie had heard Duncan boast of having added 2( years to prisoners' sentences. He did not know of prisoners getting liquor Mr Caldwell admitted to wilness that a system of spying was carried on by means of prisoners and warders. It was called " whistling" m the gaol. Mr Caldwel] visited the hulk once, and that when the Inapeotor was present. Garrett was treated better than others, as be was always allowed to be near a fire, and was kept at writing. This treatment was stopped when witnesi took charge of the hulk. He did not know why the prisoner Bntlor appeared to be m Mr Ci\ldwell's confidence. He heard Mi Caldwell say he had more to thank Butler for than any warder or sergeant m the gaol. Toe men Duncan reported were thote witnrs* used to report. He heird Mr Caldwell say that if Duncan had taken such bad care of prisoners as himself had his brains would have been knocked out. He did not hear bad language used by officers to prisoners. He bad known Mr Caldwell to be frequently closeted with reporters. To Captain Hume : Was present when reports against prisoners were heard. The Justices heard statements, and then consulted. Prisoners' statements were heard, but prisoners' witnesses could not be called. He understood that the names of certain officers who had been discharged for drunkenness bad been given as those of men likely to give evidence. He had never seen female prisoners on the male side since 1677, when the Maori prisoners wore m Duaedin. Ho had not aeen an officer unfit for duty from drink since 1877. To Mr Solomon : Mr Caldwell gave witness brandy to give men who were suffering from cold. He never saw a prisoner illtreated. He never made official complaints about what went on. Ho complained to Captain Hume about being reduced. He had said be would not believe ex-warder Corrignn on his oath. To Mr Whitefoord : Prisoners who acted as " whistlers " got billets. He had known prisoners to bo m Mr Caldwell'* office on Sundays sometimes for an hour, no officers being present. To Mr Solomon : Sometimes five or six prisoners would see Mr Caldwell on a Sunday. To Mr Whitefoord : Prisoners m the hulk used to sco tho Gaoler without asking leave. Wilness had reason to believe prisoners told Mr Cildwt'l whit look place m tho hulk. Captain Hume : Have you ever seen prisoners closeted with the Gaoler m Lyttelton f Mr Solomon objected, but Mr Whitefoord end Mr Curtis thought it fair. Witness : The rule m Lyttelton Gaol is that if a prisoner wants to tea the Gaoler, be speaks to the chief officer m charge. The prisoner then sees the Gaoler m the presence of that oOicer, and entry is made of what tho pri-onrr saw the Gaoler about. To Mr Solomon : Prisoners have seen the Gaoler alone hero on two occasions only, and each time entry was made m the book. Warder H. Kearney stated he had been m Dunedin Gaol from 1879 to 1882. Id January 1882 ha lav Assistant-Warder Noonan under the influence of drink. He did not report tho matter. Noonan threatened Fredericks and witness with his biton. In 1881 a fomalo lunatic was put into a cell with two other females whom she knocked about. Witness and another warder went m and held her while the others got out. By Mr Oaldwell's orders she was put m tho warders' messroom, m charge- of witness. Noonan came into tho room occasionally. He never •aw prisoners get liquor or tobacco from Mr Caldwell. Ho had seen female prisoners on tho male side, and once saw a young female m tho Gaoler's office on a Sunday when the prisoners wera going to chapel. No female attendant was with her. He had never seen prisoners ill-treated. John Smith, alias Thomas Hardy, stated he was a prisoner at Dunedin five years ago, where he did two years and six months, with eleven months additional. He had sent a complaint to the Commissioners that he had been ill-treated m Dunedin. In winter, when under treatment for heart diseaio, he had bis bedclothes pulled ofi" him and mado to come out without his boots, and had to go to » cell where Rogers was and take his bed, and Rogers was tent to witness' cell. Next morning witness was put into an empty cell without a bed, and the floor wetted. He told Dr Burns next day, and the day after he was sent to work m the gardens. He could not work on account of a blister on his chest. Ho was reported, and the Magistrate told him heart diseaio was nothing to keep a man from work. After he was released he got into gaol again, and was sent to work m the gardens. Witness charged Warder McC&tlum with killing a trout und giving it ta a Maori to cook for him. He also charged him with stealing trees. He ran away from tho gardens m order to get before a publio Court, but he was taken back to gaol. Next morning Sergeant McNamara held witness m the water-closet while McCallum struck him. Witness saw them coming, and flung a boot at McCallum. They kicked him and dragged him to a coll, where he was kicked on the thigh. He was brought before a Magistrate, but was not allowed to make a statement. He was pushed out of Court, and went into gaol on a sentence of cloven months, and while thero got eleven months added. When tho Inspector came witness risked to see him, but was shut up m a separato cell out of the way. This wai done on two occasions. Warder Martin O'Connell stated he had corresponded 5 or 6 ycara with Warder Noonan, who on ono occasion wrote that be waa suspended for drunkenness, and asked witness' advice. Ho replied that Noonan had belter speak the truth and throw himself on the mo rev of the Justices. This concluded the evidence. The Commissioners take evidence m Wellington on Monday next.