AN EXCITING CHASE OF CONVICTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 304, 31 October 1879, Page 2

AN EXCITING CHASE OF CONVICTS.

Fuller details of the flight of convicts at Dartmoor show that the attempt to escape gave rise to an exciting chase, The Western Morning News says:—" At half-past four, when haymaking work was over, Warden James, who was in charge of the party, directed them to fetch their coats. The overalls lay under a hedge overlooking the moor, and on reaching this barrier, one of the men, a well-known I desperado named Bryan, threw up his hayfork. This was evidently a signal, as eight of the convicts at once dropped their tools, and having cleaved the stone hedge, which is about sft in height, made off at the top of their speed across the moor, taking various directions towards Tor Royal The guards on that side of the field gave chase, and fired on the runaways, striking four of them, but not so as to completely disable them. The chase was a very exciting one, and as the whole proceedings took place in full sight of the village of Princetown, no little commotion arose there. The convicts headed in the direction of the Ashburton road, crossing an affluent of the Dart in the intermediate valley, over which they were hotly pursued by the guards, who fired several shots. Warders called by semaphore signal from outlying stations joined the pursuers, as also did several civilians. One after another the convicts were captured, and within an hour all the eight had been escorted into prison. Two were taken by men in the employ of Mr Sampson, of Tavistock, at the buildings known as New London, while two were stopped by men working in a hayfield on the Two Bridges Road, and brought back by them—the haymakers leaving their work and following the convicts without picking up their coats and waistcoats, While the appearance of both captured and captors was rather ludicrous, that of the wounded men who were supported along the road by the warders—one was bleeding freely from the head—was equally pitiable. The convicts engaged in the affair seem to have acted without any of the shrewdness often displayed in attempts to escape. Usually, these exploits occur on foggy days, whereas the day was fine and clear. Bryan, the alleged ringleader, has previously made the attempt, and was then at large for a week, and was recaptured in the neighborhood of Shaugh. Another of them had also got away when under confinement at Parklmrst, The punishment for this kind of offence is well known to be I extremely severe,"