There can be no doubt that the outbreak at the Municipal Gaol, Ward Rond, on Friday afternoon, was a pre-mediated one, notwithstanding the ro-port that the man who first attacked the Indian warder did so because the who was first attacked was not the one who usually has charge of this gang of con-viers. As the result of the fullest en-4 bled to place the following account, obtained from several sources, before our readers.
outside world the first that was hoard of the affair was at 2.50 p.m. when a Chinese employed in the office at the Ward Road Gaol telephoned to the Central Police Station for immediate assistance. When asked where the foreign staff of the Gaol were, reply was received that they fighting with the prisoner broken out. The elaborate communication from the Central toother Police Stations was at once sot to work and all foreign police who could be communicated with or soon on the roads were informed of the oocvrrence and ordered to proceed without delay to the Gaol. Carriages wore commandeored on every side and in about ten minutes from the receipt of the message from the Gaol quite a large force of police were on their way to the scone of the fracas. Fortunately, on the arrival of the majority, the worst was over.
Meanwhile what happened at the Gaol was as follows:—Some twelve to fifteen convicts were at work makin, boots in a tailors shop and included in the gang was Vab Mao-mao, the associate and brother of the notorious Those mon w who was undergoing a twenty-years' sentence, suddenly sprang up, and with a shoemaker's ife in his hands lost at the warder cut him across the throat, A a dangerous wound, Thereupon the other convicts rose up and seizing tools, attacked the warder, One of them drow the latter's award.and struck him with it. The Indian turned and fled down lower shop, and in hi three times. Ho got through the door the shop underneath and it was immediately closed behind him by another warder, Led by Vali Mao-mao, the excited gang charged the door and with hammers soon removed the obstacle. They again attacked the warders and by this time several other us joined in the meloe, The whistles of the warders gave the alarm, and the whole of the Gaol staff made the Europeans armed The hond gaoler, rhassot, went round to matting shop and there ho was immediately attacked by a gang of mon who had presumably been engaged in making coir mats. By this time the convicts, howling and yelling, were rushing about the compound with all kinds of working tools in their hands, and pieces of wood, including the bamboo poles used for ing the matting. The head gaoler was being pressed hard who Indian warder rushed to his as-nce and i 10g off a blow from "hammer, which was directed at the head of Mr. Blonnerhassot, bad his sword {which is by no means a play thing) broken off six inches from the hilt." Tt was Vsh Mao-mao who delivered this blow, but it seems to have been his last crime, for in the general fight he was shot dead about this time, The assistant gaoler, Mr. Weatherhead, seeing how serious matters were becoming, immediately opened the arms and ammunition store, and was for some time engage. serving out carbines and ammunition to the ward From all appearances, those in charge of the Goal must have though' that the whole of the convicts who were on the Orig nal fror
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.