A Strange Scene.
An extraordinary scene was witnessed at the Deniliquin Gaol on Friday last, and collected a large crowd of people around the prison building. In the centre of the gaol yard there is a large galvanised iron tank erected on a scaffolding standing about 85ft high, and about 15ft above the walls of the gaol. William Thomas, who is awaiting his trial for the murder of Jane Usher at Deniliquin about six weeks ago, was left in the yard by himself on Friday morning, and immediately afterwards he was noticed by the sentry on the wall climbing the scaffolding of the tank. Before anything could be don he had climbed to the toj of the task, and as seatei on a piece of timber which was acrosi the top. From there he could set 1 nearly all over the town, and he commenced shouting and yelling at thi top of his voice about different matters connected with the murder, He drew a large crowd round the place, and called out by name twc dozen of the people whom he knew, He referred to the murder, and in' sisted that he was driven to it, and that he was a coward for not taking his own life. He stood there for about three-quarters of an hour shouting and bawling to the people, and all the time every effort was being made by the officials and tha police to get him down. It was, however, most difficult for the officials to do anything. Ladders were obtained, and ropes were thrown round the man, but he threw them down again and again. He threatened to drown himself or throw himself off the tank a dozen times. A slip-knot was thrown round one leg, and he was then pulled down the ladder. He had got .as far as the scaffolding of the tank, and there he stood howling and bawling again, and would not move. A warder then climbed on to the top of the tank, and commenced throwing buckets of cold water on Thomas's head, which he evidently did not relish. This had the desired effect, for after a few minutes of that treatment he rapidly descended the ladder, and disappeared from public view, and the excitement outside the walls abated. Since Thomas's incarceration for the murder he lias been always protesting that he is mad. It is believed that he contemplated bis extraordinary action of Friday in order to excite publio sympathy in his favor.
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Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3888, 17 August 1891, Page 2
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415A Strange Scene. Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3888, 17 August 1891, Page 2
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