11000 PRISONERS SET FREE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 252, 17 October 1908, Page 3

11000 PRISONERS SET FREE

One of the first, ell'ecls of the Turkish Revolution has been a general freeing of prisoners throughout the Empire.

At Smyrna, the other day, they marched out to the number of over one thousand, between two ranks of soldiers, who made an arch with crossed bayonets. In Macedonia, more than eleven thousand captives have been similarly freed, from over a hundred prisons, great and small. Nor is this surprising. Experience has shown that revolutionists, and would-be revolutionists, invariably "go for " the gaols. Newgate (London), lor example, was stormed by the Cordon rioters in 1780: while, even so late as 1831), the Chartists broke into and emptied mauv local lock-ups. The great French Revolution hega.i, as all the world knows, with the storming of the Pastille. In 1871, too. one of the first acts of the insurgent Coin-, hinnists, on getting possession of Paris, was to throw open the doors of the principal prisons. They soon filled them again, however, with their enemi••.-.' many of whom they afterwards crucilv butchered just before the city was retaken by the liepublicans. Similar instances might be miilliplied almost indefinitely. Masaniello, who IW seven days ruled Naples, released in that time no fewer than ll.DIII) prisoners, many of them malefactors of the deepest dye. Even (iarihahli saw no harm in giving freedom to murderers, along with political prisoners. Hut they bad to join his armies, and serve faithfully under his banners. Otherwise lie had them shot.

The biggest gaol delivery recorded in history was that inaugurated by the Emperor li.isil, who ordered the simultaneous 'destruction oj.ali the prisons in his dominions.. Afterwards, however, (hiding he hurt lii; places to confine them in, he blinded a whole army of Bulgarians who had surrendered at discretion.