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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 601, 14 April 1866, Page 2

We learn that since the return of the halfcaste Turton, he has shown undoubted symptoms of insanity. Previous to the case against him being heard by Mr. Edwards, Otaki, he behaved himself quietly and well,' but since his re-appearance in the gaol on Thursday, he has gone through such strange vagaries that he, has to be watched with extra vigilance, When with the turnkeys, he is absolutely dangerous ; indeed, upon Friday, he attempted to dash turnkey George’s brains oi t upon the stone flags, and being an athletic and powerful man, probably would have succeeded had it not been for Tricker and Woods, two of the prisoners, who rushed to the spot, and, after a sharp tussle, dragged the then infuriated maniac into a cell. - Until. Saturday he would eat nothing, and then for the first time he asked for bread. In his solitary moments, Turton amuses himself barking like a dog, hissing, and blowing his breath at the walls of his cell ; sometimes, too, he dashes at them, under the delusion that they will give way, and on finding himself disappointed, gives vent to startling yells, and cries of “ Hau Hau.” Mr. M. Read is quite at a loss what to do with such a strange charge. The man is not only out of Ila mind, that alone would be bad enough—but he is also dangerously mad. He throws heavy galvanised iron buckets at Jiis keepers, once attacked Mr. Read In a most ferocious manner. Mr. Read with great presence of mind, kept him at bay, by striking him over the knuckles with a truncheon every time he made a rush, and called for a turnkey .to handcuff him. Eventually, this was done, and the poor maniac lay on the floor of his cell, foaming at the mouth and spitting at those about him. From all we can learn, he would be a fitter inmate for a lnnatic asylum than for a prison, and we hope that the gaol authorities will not be long tormented with such a troublesome arid dangerous charge. —* Wellington Independent.’