THE DUNEDIN GAOL ENQUIRY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1112, 23 June 1883, Page 3

THE DUNEDIN GAOL ENQUIRY.

The enquiry ordered by the Government into the past management of the Dunedin Gaol was opened at the gaol on Thursday morning, before Messrs O. Whitefoord, R.M, and O. Curtis, R.M. At the outset, Mr Caldwell, late governor of the gaol, wished the inquiry adjourned until Mr Stout returned from Timaru, but the judges decided to take the examination in chief of witnesses, and to leave over their cross-examination until Mr Stout was present. Mr Caldwell then retired.

John Morrison said tint he was a prisoner in the Dunedin gaol in 1874. His sentence was for eight years. In May, 1882, subsequent to his release, he mude a statement to the Inspctor of Prisons regarding the Management of the Dimedin gaol. The statement was now read to the witness. The following are extracts; —" Witness would have made the charges before the Visiting Justices but did not do so, as he knew the gaoler would have produced false evidence to clear himself, and his (witness') punishment would never cease, for he knew the gaoler to be void of all principle. It was witness' duty to make up the labor gang's books, which were made up so as to show that the gaol was the only self-supporting gaol in the colony. Witness failed to see that tlie gaol was self-supporting. He had several times remonstrated with the gaoler ns to the manner in which the entries were made. Entries were not made of wet days on which no work was done. The gaoler said he would have no alteration marie in the system. Before the Government Storekeeper came round to make his inspection, new goods in the storeroom, such as bedding, etc., were removed out of the way. They were placed back again after the Storekeeper had gone, and Warder Watson remarked ' how nicely it had been done.' His instructions from the gaoler were to make the returns of goods on hand, so that as wide a margin as possible should be lef f. Therefore the returns were incorrect. Whilst witness was in gaol additional sentences were passed almost doily on prisoners for idleness in the hard labor gangs, whilst at the same time, in nine cases out of ten, those prisoners were physically unfit for work. In one case an additional sentence on a prisoner in a labor gang was the cause of a death. While in gaol one thing had always struck him as being strange, that if men who had been getting on very well in other gangs were placed in Warder Diincan's gang, iu nine cases out of ten, additional sentences would be given them for idleness, and Warder Duncan he looked upon as assisting prosecutor to the gaoler when inquiries before Visiting Justices were being held. One man who had received a sentence of three days was unuble to satisfy Warder Dunnan, and it was six months before left the gaol. Another prisoner named Vickers, a, man who was u.iwell, was in Duncan's gang. He had such a sore leg that he was not able to wheel the barrow, but he tried his best. Duncan brought him before the ». Visiting Justices who, on seeing his-leg, dismissed the charge, and for the remainder of his sentence he was placed in Mr Proctor's gang in the shop. On being discharged, Vickers and his solicitors held an inquiry into the case but the wardsmen and witnesses called were afraid to say anything about it, oneprisoner faying afterwards that if he had spoken the truth ho would never have been out of difficulties. A dozen new chairs were missing from the gnol, and these the witness averred had been forwarded by the gaoler to a Mrs Carbon a widow residing in Castle street. Warder Strong procuring 6ome lead piping from

witness one day told him that it had to be taken to Mrs Carson's. Witness next stated the case of u prisoner Wilson, who, when unwell, was refused food, and for whom the doctor was not sent for until prisoner was dead. The two prisoners called at the inquest as witnesses gave false evidence, and he had no hesitation in saying that ihey were intimidated by the gaoler, who had them in his office prior to the inquest. A second death was that of a man named Messurier, whose original sentence was one incnth. On leaving his bath he had a fit, but this was not brought under the notice of the Visiting Justices. Next day be was sent out to work, and at the end of the week was brought before the Visiting Justices and got some days additional punishment. The man seemed to be brokenhearted. He sent for his wife, but complained that the goaler would not give him an oportunity of speaking to her. Witness asked a prisoner named White about Messurier. White said that M«asurier had several fits at the waggons, and that he was unfit for the work. No notice was taken of the fits, but the man was subjected to six months' additional imprisoment. It was a common remark among che prisoners that if they made complaints the Governor of the gaol would always say 'You had better mind yourself, or you will never get out of the place.' Prisoners were afraid to complain to the Inspector of their treatment. Three prisoners who had complained had been subjected to punishment ever sinco. The gaoler, not telling Dr Hume about Messurier's fits, witness told the doctor, for which he was severely reprimanded by the gaoler. Messurier expired in witness' arms in one of these fits Another case was that of a man named Eogers. The gaoler would not believe that he was sick, and told the doctor that he was only malingering. Two days afterwards the prisoner died, and his last words were, 'You have killed me at last.' In nine cases out of ten, when a prisoner wished to see the doctor the gaoler would take it upon himself to say that there was nothiug the matter with the man, and would not allow him to see the doctor. wished to draw attention to the manuer in which Dr Moffatt had been treated. That prisoner was treated more like a free man than a prisoner. He had many times spoken roughly to the officers ; for such language other prisoners would have been punished. The gaoler's _ treatment of debtor prisoners was on a liko scale. If a debtor was well known he had every attendance, but should he be a working man he must just take what he_ got. There was no such thing as uniform treatment in the Dunedin gaol. Witness had repeatedly seen Sergeant' Watson, Mr Caldwell's favorite, the worse for drink. The management of the female department was very bad, and he had feen male prisoners get into the bath wiih female prisoners." Morrison made' other complaints, and Captain Hume wished to put some questions to the witness, but was not allowed. Another prisoner, named Bernard Gray, undergoing,five years, deposed that before he canvicted the complaints he respecting tje gaol were something awful, but what he heard was not a tithe of what it really was. In a thousandj and one ways the officers endeavored to induce prisoners to break the prison regulations. He made a number of other complaints re the food and treatment of prisoners.