Hide Article Text (OCR)
DaRING ESCAPE OF PRISONERS, Tur Hawkes Bay Herald of November 22 says:— * Yesterday afternoon, about 4 o'clock, 3 gang of prisoners, nine in number, were at work in the neighbourhood of the rifle butts, under the supervision of Messrs. Brown and Scanlan , the former acting ag entry and being armed, the latter as overseer and consequently unarmed, Brown and Scan lan had been standing together, at a distance of about twenty pees from the spot where the men were working. Brown went about ten paces Forward, in the direction of the prisoners, to get a drink out of a bucket of water which was standing there. ‘This bucket was some eight or ten paces from the nearest of the prisoners. As he was stooping down over the bucket, Hammond, the man who was sentenced to six years’ penal servitude for rape at the last sittings of the Supreme Court, sprang upon him and grasped him round the waist, pinning his arms to his side. At the same time Campbell, one of those who escaped from the gaol in February last, seized his rifle. He struggled with the two men for a few minutes, and, with great presence of mind, managed to take the cap off the rifle, before letting it out of his hands. As soon as the struggle began, Scanlan had come to the rescue, and had been knocked down by a blow from a spade, dealt, it is supposed, by Doreen, another prisoner who is little more than a boy, though he had also been sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude for horse-stealing. After Campbell had taken the rifle from Brown, he handed it to one of his accomplices, and immediately seized on the revolver. Brown also grasped it and endeavoured to retain it, but Williams, another of those who escaped in February, held a pick above his head and threatened to bring it down upon it, if he did not let go the revolver. He let it go accordingly, and the four men Hammond, Williams, Campbell, and Doreen immediately made for a hoat which was lying close by, got into it, and pushed it from the shore. Campbell wore tatters on account of his pres ious bad conduct in the gaol; the other three were free. One of the remaining five prigoetd, Hebberly, an ex-constable, true to is old instincts, did what he could to assist the keeper ; the reat were passive spectators of the scene—making, however, no attempt to escape, though one of them had been sentenced to ten years’ penal servitude. In a few minutes Scanlan so far recovered or to be able to stand up again. A man named Boyd latched a rifle. At the same time, Mr. Williams, the carpenter, to whom the boat belonged, came with another rifle. Scanlan and Williams took several shots at the boat and hit it more than once. Camp bell was caught subsequently.”
Newspaper Details
Auckland Daily Southern Cross
Auckland, Auckland, NZ
Sat, Nov 26, 1870
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Carleen S.
AU 24 Jan 2026
Other Publications Near Auckland, Auckland
Auckland Daily Southern Cross
Anglo-Maori Warder
Auckland Albertland Gazette
Auckland Star
