PRISON RIOT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 January 1932, Page 5

PRISON RIOT

ALL NBW QUIET r OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF f CONyiCTS' ATTACK ON WARDERS NO SERIOUS INJURIES (British Official Wireless RUGBY, Monday. A Home Office communique regarding the Dartmoor disturbance states; "While the prisoners were being marched into chapel at 9.30 a.m., over 100 out of a total prison population of about .400, broke away, and the prison staff was unable, for a time, to obtain control. 'Some prisoners broke into the administrative officgs and burnt a nuriiber of records, and prisoners also attempted to scale the walls. It was necessary for the prison officers to nse firearips to prevent escape. "Some prisoners received shot wounds and some were injured by jtaves used by the officers. It was necessary to summon poliee from Plymouth and Exeter to help the prison staff. The former arrived at 10.45 md by 11 o'clock all the prisoners ,vere under cQmplet.e control and the listurbance was at an end. "No prisoners escaped and none ,vas seriously injured. Abput 20 are ,n hospital with minor injuries. No )fficers were seriously hurt. A few received minor injuries. A large numier of prisoners took no part in the listurbance and many helped the prison staff. "The causes of the trouble are' not aiown. The Home Secretary will u-range for an inquiry to be made at jnce into all the circumstances. Immediate Inquiry The Home Sfecretary, Sir Herbert lanuiel, has appointed Mr. Herbert lu Parcq, K.C., the Recorder of Jristol, to hold an immediate inquiry nto the whole circumstances. He will je assisted by Mr. Alexander Pateron one of the prison eommissioners. All is quiet at Dartmoor to-day. Ixcept for minor effects of the rough landling, no prison officials or poliee rere hurt, and only one convict was eriously injured. He is suffering from oncussion caused by falling off the oof. All the convicts in Dartmoor Prison lave been confined to their cells tolay. The guards have been trebled it the chief points in the prison walls, ■roops are in readiness at Plymouth, iut nothing has happened. The newspapers give prominence o Donovan's reseue of Colonel Turier, publishing photographs of the onvict and details of his last-minute eprieve from the death sentence in 928. Correspondents are alrealy sug:esting Donovan's release for bravry, and offers of employment are eing made. The poor quality of the food, the ampness of the cells and the general reatment are the chief grievances f the convicts, whose incendiarism Tought its own punishment in the estruetion of the heating system, lusing them to shiver in their cells on he season's frostiest morning. It is freely suggested that the mount of liberty .pllowed the prisonrs to mingle in the yards and rounds enabled them to plot the exct moment of the rising and to colKEt weapons.