London, Feb. 8.
Those of the prisoners who took part.in the recent disorders at Dart moor, whose offenses axe too serious to be dealt. with merely as breaches! of prison discipline, will be tried in open court, announced Sir Herbert Samuel, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons to-day.
We declared that those prisoners where part in the riot was less serious would be tried by the prison board. The enquiry which has been made showed that, the: prison affeers asa body had behaved well, and was a matter of satisfaction 1 one had been killed in the matin and that no escapes had, occurred.
The Home Secretary said that he was conveying to the staff an express. sion of his appreciation of—their] behaviour under very trying cirewmstances. Ie was convinced that} their conduct was fully in. accordance with the high reputation of the British prison service for reliability, courage and restraint, 'This was not the occasion to apportion praise or blame to individ Gals, he added. 'The House might vest' assured that, as regards the] very small number of officers mentioned in the report ax being suspect grave misconduct, no pains would Ue spared in obtaining every available evidence, with a view to] subsequent appropriate action, An regards the assistance renler~ ed by seme of the prisoners to authorities during the mutiny, Sir Trevbert assured the House that'cach, case was being investigated, and. that it was. his intention to" give! effect to the suggestion contained in the report that the courageous} actions of these prisoners should be Tu regard to the future of Darts soon, the report called attention to the isolated position of the prison and the Inck of amenition for its aft and their families. He renirdthe House that, last November, a sehieme wns decided upon for, Targely redueinge the number of pri sonery ay soon ax alternative accom modation could be arranged, This! proposal had been pressed forward.
Dartmoor, he said, was a expensive institution and the scheme for its reorganization included a separate establishment for the} training of young convicts. In pur. seance of this plan, admission of] further eases to Dartmoor had been Aigeontinued since November, 1920.
The damage to the buildings daring the recent mutiny, he concluded, was estimated at lex than £3,000. "There had been no further, distur-Dance since the original disorders which hed been suppressed within two hours of the outbreak—Reuter._
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.