UNKNOWN

Evening Star, Issue 3934, 4 October 1875, Page 3

UNKNOWN

THE CONYICf SHOT. Th® gang «f prison®™ working at Bull Hill under Overseer OiTiam end Sergeant M'Namara, went to work is usual at about seven o’clock this morning. Amongst the number was the notorious Cyrus who is undergoing three life sentences, two being for arson and one for shooting with intent to murder. The sentences v/ ro passed in Auckland in April, 1872, am' at the same time Haley was charged with sending a letter threatening to destroy property, mi whi hj chaise no sentence Was passed, ami with sending a letter threatening to muirier, wherein a mi He -prosequi was entered. Being a very character Malay was shortly after,-;;. T- Venr. to Dunedin. Here he behaved himself wed for a short tin»o. but on tho morning of Sunday, bshmaiy 23, 18 3, while dusting carpets on the gaol porch, he attempted to escape by throwing pepper into the eyes of Warder O’Hagan, who was on watch. He appears to hava blinded tha warder for a moment and effected an escape, but only got into Cumberland street, when he was re arrested by O’Hagan, who, notwithstanding the pain from which Ike suffered, followed in pursuit of his pr«»ner and re-captured him. For this Mr Caldwell, the governor of the gaol, ordered !>aley to work in irons with the Bell Hill gang; but his conduct for a lengthened period continued good enough to warrant their removal about a year ago. Prisoner has since then sihowed no disposition which would give cause for apprehension. On going to worn to-day ho was told off with another prisoner to bore a hole for plugging. He vras working on the foot of the slope on Bell Bill, and ar. about twentv minutes after •oven the alarm was raised by Warder Nicholeon, who noticed Haley climbing up the elope, that a i risoner had escaped. Ward-r Miller, who was in charge of three prisoners at the top etf the slope and to the cast of where prisoner was trying to climb the bank, immediately followed in pursuit, and came up with Haley a f<'w yards from the First Church, lie levelled hia rifle at him and ordered him to stand, whereupon prisoner iumpcrl over tho Manse fence, some four feet nigh, r» n through the Mans-- yard, and came out on the opposite aide. Miller being dressed in uniform, and carrying a rifle, could not jump ihe fence, but he inn around and again came up within % few yards of prisoner on the Moray place side of the Mii One. He then fired two alarm shots, bo pdug to frighten Haley ; but finding these uiel.be 'tual. and the man still continuing to run, ht> fired at him, shooting him as ho reache i th 9 footpath at the junction of Moray place and Stuart street, and killing him instantly. The body was then removed to tho Gaol and placed in a cell. When viewed by our reporter it showed that the bul et "had entered the right side and passed thro trgh to the breast, where it came out. Insid s hia shirt prisoner had carried a Eiarcel coutai ning -ome family photographs and etiers. Tina bullet had gone right through these, taking; out of each a corner alien* an inch square. Hailey had on one occasion remarked to Sergeant (.atsouthat he would carry these to his grave,.

Deceased was forty-two years of age and a married maa. His wife was at one time regarded as one of the leading iadus of Auckland, and sang at tl m various charitable concerts there. Latterly, her w-ver. she h:;d become thoroughly d'ssipated, -and some time ago, on her being sent to Riiol. her children w T ere ordered to be forw arded to the Industrial School. Overseer O utram, who has been in the gaol force here for the last seventeen years, sajs that he never Lad a worse prisoner to deal with than. Irlaley. A feature in the prisoner’s character was his treachery. When asked to do anything, he was always notorious for his gentlemanly n anner and civility, always addressing an official as “sir,” yet every one feared hi»a. believing that there was not a more cmuiing prisoner to be met with. That the esca*w was premeditated there can be no dou.u'.t, prison'r’s troumis, which were found hidden behind a stone, and which were torn asnmder by the seams, having evidently been proviouriy torn and tacked together so -s to be ea silly taken to pmee r.g. in. Haley ■’a career in India was an equally eventful one His escapes Hum i.ao 1 so frequent time ne fr.-vd to be ,-ent to f-Vntiidge; but here the aut -* ortties refused to have anything to d> with, hj mi, and s nt him back to India,