A CONVICTS’ PLOT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1164, 20 June 1884, Page 3

A CONVICTS’ PLOT.

The Odessa correspondent of the Dat y News gives an account of a convicts’ p o’, ro seizj the Nishoi-,NV)vgorod. one of the largest vessels of the Russian volunteer fleet. The vessel has been euga ed for some years past in the transport of convicts to the renal settlement of Saghalien. On her last outward voyage she had on board between 500 and 600 convicts, the most desperate characters being confined in huge cases between decks. One of the cages was situated immediately above the ship’s armoury, and the inmates having possessed themselves of a' couple of large nails, managed to cut a ciienlar- aoerture.idfough the fioorin /. They had secretly succeeded so far in ■heir enterprise as to be able by a slight bmw to drive in the almost Severed portion, and were waiting only for midnight to descend singly, arm themselves, shoot down the guards, and nmrier the ships crew, when one of their number asked for an interview with one of the officers and disclosed the plot. Measures were immediately taken ; but the informer, despite his entreaties was thrust back into his cage, where his eyes were gouge I from their sockets with the na ;1 a with which the convicts ha l||ciic the flo iug, and he was sub.-e ((i.eatly rescued, mom iead ihan adva, in a sho king .condition. The Nish i-Novgorod left Odessa on the 24th of March for Saghalien, jjwi hj 500 convicts, political and criminal, but she sailed'short of one of her convicts, a man transported for murder. A few di-ys before the vessel started, the mhh,. having no doubt heard of the plot mentioned above, a~k d for an interview with one of the ship’s officers, in order to disclose the conspiracy. The enviot insisted upon the officer writing down his statement, wnich the latter at once .proceeded to do, but as he seated himself and bent over the paper, the convict raised a short bar, previously conceded in his sleeve, and clove the officer’s skull, killing him on the spot. The convict is now awaiting a se oud trial on the capital charge.