PRISONERS' PARADISE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 93, 15 May 1909, Page 2

PRISONERS' PARADISE.

TIIK lIANMKK I'ltlSOX CAMP. REVELATIONS AT THE ENQUIRY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Cliristcliurch, Last Xight, The discipline in llannier prison camp lias for some time past apparently been anything but exemplary, and the Commission which enquired into matters on Wednesday (according to reliable information) discovered that some alterations in the method of government ■would have to be made if the camp were to be continued on regulation lilies. It appears that Gaoler Murphy was in charge of the camp for fiOmo time, and i while he occupied that position he was assisted by three warders and two men connected with the Forestry Department. Murphy, it is stated, was not a strict disciplinarian, nnd therefore management of the camp developed into a very happy-go-lucky sort of style. Naturally under this regime everyone was perfectly satisfied, and as one gentleman described it to a pressman,' it was more like a picnic than anything else. Recently Murphy's health became so bad that lie was forced to apply for leave, and the Department granted his request, and placed Gaoler Bowling, the present governor of the camp, in charge. Warder Carl yon was at this time clerk in the oliice. Bowling immediately saw that the camp previous to his arrival bad not been rim on strictly orthodox ,nies, and he immediately set to work

to straighten out matters. The warders during .Murphy's governorship were, with the permission of Colonel Hume, allowed to let the prisoners play football and. t cricket on certain occasions and Carlyon 1 used to participate in the games, IMS C Bowling objected to, and he later removed Carlyon to a position in charge ' of a gang.' According lo Carlyon, as they were short-handed, it was arranged that Bowling should take his turn in locking up at night and unlocking in the ' morning, but when the time arrived for c •' Bowling to carry out his part of the con- ] i tract. Bowling refused, nnd ordered Car- '] * lyon to do the work. Carlyon thereupon < refused, and Howling suspended him for j ,- refusing duly. Carlyon immediately ] t communicated with Wellington and ask- i . ed for an ciiqtiirv, which -Mr. Bishop, i S.M.. held on Wednesday. During the ; - enquiry, which was of a Departmental ' L . nature, it wiis slated that Leask, assist- . ant forester, was also charged with re-1 c fusing duty on a certain Saturday and ; , Sunday, 'lie explained that Mr. Curie, s chief forester, was away on a holiday, " and had given him instructions prior to v his departure that he was not to take ini struetions from the prison authorities, ~ consequently he refused to do what ... Howling told him to do. The matter ~ will lie referred to headquarters' by the (I Commission for enquiry. Leask was ,1 further charged with maliciously de- ;, *troving six cords of firewood in the ,1 prison plantation. He stated in regard I, to this that only leaves and small ~ branches were cut off and burned, and 1,, the remainder of the wood was carted , ( . in to the camp. Carlyon nvns charged i,. with falsifying the hooks, with mixing i, with the prisoners too freely, playing ly football, etc., and being incompetent as a ,' 1; ! warder and refusing duty. ll* admitted ~| that he had been a barman prior to his ~,,i appointment lo the camp at Ifanmer. I;, lie bad never been in a first-class prison before, hut he-had served in the Imperial Army for two years. He said he had played football with the prisoners on Saturday afternoon, the prisoners' halfholiday. These games were played with the permission of Colonel Hume. He in denied falsifying the books, and stated ss they were all right .when he left them. lie asked that thev should 1 xaniined. in The report of the Commission has to be in made to the Government, and nothing ol is yet known us' to the nature of the recommendations made. It is undcrlgi stood, however, that Carlvon handed in ~,|. his resignation at the close of the pro,,r ceeilinirs, and various changes will protli balily be made as the result of the cnikl 'lu'iy.