A GAOL BIRD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 238, 10 December 1866, Page 3

A GAOL BIRD.

To the Editor of the Daily Southern Cross. Sir — Seeing in your paper of yesterday the views which some of our worthy members of the Provincial Council put forth, respecting the management of prisoners at the Mount Eden gaol, I should like to have a small say in the matter if you Avill allow me ■pace for so doing in your valuable paper. Mr. Wynn expressed himself in a very feeling and warm manner towards Robinson and the prisoners generally at tlie Stockade. Mr. Wynn seems to have a strong objection to the use of chains ; and I hold similar views, and say that, with the number of officers, Sec, they have at present at the Stockiide, they oudit to be ashamed of themselves to let a prisoner escape ; and the use of chains is not for inflicting a larger amount of punishment, but because they are atraid — poor things — he should run away from them again. If I occupied the position of Mr. Tockwell, and had the same amount of men to dispose of at my command, rather than put chains upon tlie prisoners, for such purposes as he does at present, I would reverse the order of things, and chain myself until I could form able plans for keeping them in without chains. As things were managed when I was a member of the establishment, there was every chance for one to make himself scarce. Two or three of the young men that were placed as sentries over us at times used to amuse me exceedingly. After taking a short tour on the platform outside one would seat himself in the box, and indulge in a quiet nap ; when, if there had been no punishment ior so doing, I should have expressed my Avarm feelings, by giving him a bucket of cold water, to help to stimulate him to greater exertion in his duty. After rousing himself up, he would again take to the platform, holding his rifle in such a position as I never saw oue put before, and, with head thrown slightly back, he would amuse himself with a selection from some grand opera, or an attempt at Sims Reeves. One of them Avas making a trial of Hamlet one day ; he broke forth with the following words: — "To be, or not to be ; whether 'tis nobler in this life." Had I been in command over him, I should not have let him go on so far, but told him that " Hamlet" had nothing to do with Stockade duties, and " It's not to be, so you can clear out." Then, I ask any persons of common sense, is it to be wondered at, with so many loopholes placed all around the prisoners, that these escapes continue to occur? It looks to me almost like tempting them to do it. Then, if the}'- are caught, they are brought up and charged with being illegally at large, and puni.hed for it, Avhen it is not they who deserve the punishment, but the officers who were placed over them and allowed them to escape. "Why not make a law something to this effect ? — All persons applying for situations such as officers, gaolers, &c, and those holding situation of the same, shali be required to find two sureties in d__s, or any amount you may think proper, and upon it being proved of any officer tailing to do his duty, or allowing any prisoner under his charge to escape, shall forfeit the above-named sum, and be dismissed from his situation. If something of this sort was adopted, the men iu charge o e the prisoners would keep their eyes open, and these escapes Avould become less rare. But the night management of the Stockade is far worse than the day. If I had a Avish so to do, I could go some dark night, and iu a quarter of an hour release every unconvicted prisoner in the Stockade Avithout being heard. There are three men left to guard the whole place of a night, two on the convicted side of the prison, and one on the otlier ; they call out to each other, about every half-hour or so — No. 1, "All's well ;" No. 2, " All's well ;" No. 3, " All's well ;" aud when it's been a bit cold of a night, No. 2 calls " All's well ;" No. 3 goes running out of the cookhouse, gives his c;ill, and back again directly. How can that m„n know what's going on in the prison whilst silling in the cook-house ? And often, when I have been lying awake for want of a softer board for a bed, I have heard No. 2 call, but no answer from No. 3 — of course he was asleep. 1 suppose they think, when a prisoner's locked up in his cell, he's safe; th_y must remember that the Stockade is built of wood, and that with not a vast amount of trouble a man could uet out of those cells without the use oi a knife. Mr. Swanson's remarks I think deserve great attention, respecting a certain amount of work a'iri not so long a time of imprisonment. And there's another light to look at it in. Suppose each man is given so much work to do per day, enough to fairly remunerate Government, nnd ' if they die. hail as much more, or double the amount, alloAv it to go to them at a fair price, or let it go to reduce their time of imprisonment. If something of this kind was carried into eilect, it would pay far tetter ; the men would work with a lighter heart, seeing' they had something to aim at, and both master and man would be satisfied in the end. The gentleman who calls himself "Light Metal" proposes a. horse .-saddled and bridlerl to be always ready for the pursuit of prisoners, the same as in Victoria. I propose that " Light Metal" rides the horse, and as Mnunfc Eden is the most likely place for a runaway to make for, I ask him to take a rough ride over it, and he will soon find that his " Light Metal " will come in collision with a harder metal, in the shape of rough scoria stones. If a man was going to run straight down the lireat North or Southroad, then a horse might lie of some service; but who would be such a fool ? Not I. Had Mr. TuckAvell adopted tlie horse system he Avould not have been quite so near to me as he was on Mount Eden, for I had the pleasure of sitting behind a bunch of fern about ten yards off him once, and Avatcliing their whole proceedings. After he Avas gone another came close to me, when one some distance off called out, "He is not so far as that." Shortly after another came; and asked a boy if he had seen anybody knocking about down there, Then near dusk two came lack together; one said,, "It wasn't my -fault ; whydid jnot-he count liis men V Then they both agreed

that it Avas a very bad job ; one said he had sprained his ankle. Shortly after two others came, and they all joined conversation together ; one said he was just on the top of the hill there — he was quite ri»:it — and I staid there until dark, and then sought fresh lodgings. — I have, &c. FREDERICK PL-JIMER. Safety Villa. November 15, 1366.