ATTEMPTED ESCAPE OF CYRUS HALEY FROM GAOL.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 344, 8 October 1875, Page 3

ATTEMPTED ESCAPE OF CYRUS HALEY FROM GAOL.

THE CONVICT SHOT. The gang of prisoners working at Bell Hill under Overseer Outraui and Sergeant M'JNarnara, went to work as usual at about seven o'clock Monday morning. Amongst the number was the notorious Cyrus Haley, who is undergoing three life sentences, two" being, for arson and one for shooting with intent to murder. The sentences were .passed in Auckland in April, 1»72, and at the same time Haley was charged with sending a letter threatening to destroy property, on which charge no sentence was passed, and with sending a letter threatening to murder, wherein a nolle prosequi was entered. Being a very desperate character Haley was shortly afterwards sent to Duuediu. Here he behaved himself well for ~ a short- time, but on the morning of Sunday, February 23, 1873, while dusting carpets on the gaol porch, he attempted to escape by throwing pepper into the eyes of Warder O'Hagan, who was ou watch. For this Mr. Caldwell, the governor of the gaol, ordered Haley to work in irons with the Bell Hill gang; but his conduct for a lengthened period continued good enough to warrant their removal aboufe a year ago. Prisoner has since then showed no disposition which would give cause for apprehension. On going to work on Monday he was told off with another prisoner to bore a hole for plugging.' He was working on the foot of the slope en Bell Hill, and a little after seven •. the alarm was raised by Warder JNicholson.. Warder Miller, who wasin charge of three prisoners at the top of the slope and to the cast of where prisoner Mas trying (o climb the bank, immediately followed in pursuit, and came up with Haley a-, .few vmds vciui the pii fe 't I'huu-h. 11 e lc\elkcl his He vA him, and mitred 'him to stand;

whereu xm .prisoner jumped over the Manse fence, some -foil." feet high, ran through t-h; Manso yard, < ; n I came out en tUo opposite side. Miller ran round and again came up within a few yards of prisoner on the Moray Place side of the Manse. Me then-fired two alarm shots, hoping to frighten Haley! but finding these ineffectual, and the man stillcontinuing to run, he fired at him. shooting him as he reached the footpath at the junction of Moray place and Stuart street, and killing hiin instantly. Deceased was forty two years of age, and a married man. His wife was at one time regarded as one of the leading ladies of Auckland, and sang at the various concerts there. _ Latterly, however, she lias become dissipated, .and some time ago, on being sent.to gaol, her children "were ordered to be -forwarded to the' Industrial.: School! That the escape was premeditated there ca:i be no doubt, prisoner's trousers, which were found hidden behind' a stone, and which were torn assunder by the seams, having evidently been previously torn and tacked together so as to be easily taken to pieces again.—'Star '