ESCAPE OF A FEMALE PRISONER FROM THE LOCK-UP.
(To the Editor of the WesljpoH Timed) Sin, —On the morning of the 12th instant, at about 5 o'clock, I was aroused by a woman who came to ray cottago and said she had escaped from the police lock-up, and wanted protection. I told her it was ali nonsense, and to go back ; that there was always protection there, but she could not bo persuaded to go back, but stated that a very tall man dressed in police uniform made an intrusion into her cell, and took possession of her bed, and that she could not by any means dislodge him, as he was very drunk. I could scarcely believe this statement till I went down, found the camp door open, the cell door open, and a man of very stall stature in the cell, where the female should be kept locked up ; I tried to shake him up, but it was all in vain, so I had a quiet walk through the camp, and took my departure. The circumstance was reported to Sergeant Kiely who was very soon on the spot and found the constable in the position described, and bad the prisoner at once taken back to the lock-up. There were no steps taken to have the prisoner punished for leaving the camp, as the inducement .was so very strong. I don't think it a wise plan for the Provincial Government to put police constables in charge of the gaol at Westport, and the sooner a radical change takes place the better. I am, &c., J. K. Westport, Nov. 13. [ln publishing this letter it is necessary, for public information, to supplement the facts omitted by our correspondent. The woman's name is Theresa Gething. Between 9 and 10 o'clock on the night in question she went to (he camp in a disordered state and said that John Kiernan, ex-warder of the gaol, had illussd her. She was told to summons him. At midnight screams, were heard proceeding from the neighbourhood of Kiernan's house, and tbo police found Gething and several men outside, and she complained again that Kiernan bad struck her. She was excited from the effects of liquor, and her clothing had been torn off. Kiernan said he was trying to get her home. The police took her to the lock-up, and Kiernan brought some clothing for her. This was about half-past twelve. Constable Gorman, against whom the charge is made, bad been on patrol duty the whole night, had assisted in the arrest of tho pris-
oner, but had, unfortunately for himself, imbibed liquor, either too much in quantity, or too bad in quality to do him any good, and was ultimately found lying stupiSed in tbe cell from which the prisoier had escaped. John Kiernan reported the circumstance to Sergeant Kiely next morning, between 5 and (5 a.m.; stating then that Gething was out of prison and had broken in (he door of his house. t Constable Gorman has been suspended from duty, and ia alone implicstfd in this grievous breach of discipline ]
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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1022, 15 November 1872, Page 2
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516ESCAPE OF A FEMALE PRISONER FROM THE LOCK-UP. Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1022, 15 November 1872, Page 2
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