DESPERATE CRIMINALS AT LARGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2261, 23 October 1889, Page 2

DESPERATE CRIMINALS AT LARGE

Melbourne nuwa of the 10th last sa?-* : — Qre*t I'xoltement was oausod m tbia olty yea?erd »y whon it became known that two or'tnio-i's of a most dangerous oharaoter bad euaoeeded iv esoiplog from Qealong Ua^l, A warder nimed Oane was dUoovered gagged aud bound | Q the cooking room, and securely lashed to a largo t»ble. As soon as ho was released Oane related the o'roms^-pp* whioh hid led to hia being plaoea iv tatu pos.tion. He was on doty during the night m a oorrldor, In calls adjoining which were oonfiued inms of tbo most ruffitoly In mates tn the prison. One of them, Alexander Olarko, asked to be supplied with a drink of water, The water prooured the water and handed It to Olarke through tho small openlcg lo tbe 001 l door. TJnsuapeotlng any danger be did oot observe that whilst passing the drink to Olarke the door of the cell «n the opposite side of the oorrlddfTiad been opened, and that a prisoner named Christopher For rell was stealthily approaohing bim from behind, .nddenly he was seized by the thro it m a vice like grasp, and saw the door of the cell oooupied by Olarke open, and its oooupant emerge to assist m overpowering him. Ec was unable to oal] out cr make the least alarm as he was gasping through the great pressure whioh his assuilants kept on his throat. Farrell lifted up a large 'atone, whioh he had eeour d, and In a suppressed tone said—'' It ie a oase of life or i death to us. If you sp*ak another word we will dash yoar brai a out." A large pioae of oloth was atufled iuto the mouth of the warder, and his bauds and feet were tied. After tbe operation hod b.en completed silently and effectively hey quietly deprived him of his boots and oonveyed blm t» tbo cooklng-bouso, where be was tied toa tab'e with a pieae of stou- oord. The two oonviota arming themselves w;th k«.eu ca-vlngknlves, left, and wont down the oorrldor to a door whioh led from tbe main building to the yard of the eastern wlog, ailil In process of ereotion. The door relied for its protection upon a Ohubb look, but tho two desperadoes found but little difficulty io forcing this m;nns of defence. The look m faot, had been worn out by rust and constant use, and i . required nothlDg more than a sadden jerk to break it op«n. Onoo oqtelde tbe prisoners had an cany means of esoape by tbe scaffolding poles ereoted by the contractors. Tho eaoapeei are the moat de«pet-ate criminals m Viotoiia. Oiarko, m the various capacities of sneakthief, burglar, and receiver of stolen /oods, had served nearly half his lifetime m gaol, Farrell, doom id to exile nnder similar oonditlons, had graduated through the varlons grades of highway robbt-ry, burglary, aod thef. to attempted murder. On the 9th Ootober, , 1887, he was surprised In a thieves' den •tFi'Z-oy, and vraa captured of tor a deaporate resistance, Iv whiob Detective Nixon was only savod from instant death by a pookotboolr, tlght'y p»cksd with dooumenip, which Interposed between a I well-aimed bullet and his heart. For , this offdtioe Farroll was committed to 1 twelve yearß* Imprisonment, cumulative ! on a Bentenoe of two years for having 1 housebreaking tools In bis possession, 1 and as at the time of his conviction ho / 1 had noarly raaohod the ago of 00, il wa» 1 fair.y oouolr-dcd tb4 he irould not again < pass beyond tbe walls of the, Olirky < ts a still older crlmtuj.l. j

BE* OAPTUBE OB" FARRELL. Lator news states ihut Farrell was reoa^tured near tho Botanical Gardens, Lake Wendouro", Ballarat, after a deßporate struggle with Constable MuHarry. Some young men saw a person m prison clothes skulking about the gardens, and intormed Mylc*i»rrv, wbp ft? m*t » | k»OK

|if he waa not F-.rro '. Tho m n rofua d to go to th. 1 1-okup, i-D! attaohed Mul darry with a largo knife he had dra«n from hia sleeve. After a Bevero struggle, m whioh Muldarry was .fobbed iv the side and cut m the hand, Farrell «ai handcuffed, the youn^ man who had fir .it seen Farrell lending th • constable assistance. Farroll states tltat si oe his efopo from gaol ho walked to Ballarat during tho nighlH. Ho parted from Clark (his mate) at Bar wo j.