The National Register. — London, England, 1815-09-17 00:00:00

that it waJ dearly represented tolira, had the prisoners been so disposed on that night, they could have easily made their escape. Although that transaction had no thing to do, as relates to the prisoners, with the events of the 6th, we merely represent this circumstance to show, that there was no intention whatever on their part to break out of the prison, as Shortland and his adherents have attempted to prove. The report now goes on to mention, that on the evening of the 6th of April, about six o'clock in the evening, a hole was made in one of the walls of the prison sufficient for a full-sized man to pass, and others had been com menced but never completed, and that a number of pri soners were over the railing erected to prevent them from communicating with the centinels on the walls, and that they were tearing up pieces of turf, and wantonly pelting each other in a noisy manner. As to the hole made in the wall we believe the causes and reasons have been already sufficiently explained by the affidavits laid before the public. With respect to the prisoners being between the iron palling and the wall, could have been, if it was not, easily explained to Mr. King, had he given an opportunity. It seems, that on the afternoon of the 6th, some of the prisoners having ob tained leave of the sentinels on the walls to go over and lay upon the grass; others seeing them lying so much at their ease, went over to enjoy the same privilege; and as the sentinels made no objection to this proceeding, the num ber was soon increased to such a degree, that it became no longer an enjoyment to those who first obtained the privilege; some scuffling then ensued among themselves, and they began to pelt each other with turf and old shoes, principally in play, and among so many, no doubt, there must have been considerable noise; but bow they can possibly connect this circumstance with the hole made in the Mall, is intirely out of our power to conceive, as the iron railing separated them from the pretended breach in the wall, and distant from it more than half the length of the yard; of course, had the hole been intended as a breach, the iron paillug would have be come a barrier instead of facilitating the means of an escape. As to that part of the report which mentions the guard barracks being the repository for the arms of the guard off duty, and of its standing in the yard to which 'the hole in the wall would serve as a communication, and of its being a further cause of suspicion and alarm to Capt. Shortland; to one acquainted with the situation of the prison, such an idea would be ridiculous, but to those who are not acquainted with it, it will be only neces sary for us to mention, that if the prisoners had the inten tion of breaking out through this passage, and had lie . tually got into the barrack yard, the difficulties they would then have to encounter would be much greater than to break a passage through the market square, or the back part of the yard. As to the idea of their possessing themselves of the muskets h landing in the racks hi the guard barracks (even if they knew of any being there) is eiildish ; for how easy would it have been for the corn tianding officer, on the shortest intimation of such an at tempt with one blast of his bugle, to have called all his guard; to the spot before a hundredth part of tlie prisoners Could. have got into the yard, and by that means hi btanV tly put a stop t o any f ur th er procee di ngs on t h e i r part. N _ ing can possibly come ;; it appeared to him SEPT. 17. that Captain Shortland was justified in giving the order for sounding the alarm-bell, when, if he found the pri. soners were conducting themselves improperly, had he sent for the committee (as always had been his custom hereto. fore, when he had any charge against the prisoners for im. proper conduct) and told them that the prisoners were breaking. the wall (which circumstance as has been pub. fished before, was not known to one tenth of the pri. soners) and requested them to have represented to those engaged in it the consequences that must ensue if they persisted in such conduct, we have not a moment's hesi tation in saying, they would have put a stop to any further proceedings of that kind. That part which relates to the breaking of the iron chain which fastened No. 1 gate, and follows next in the report, says, there was no et idence to show whether it was done before or after the alarm-bell rang. As this was a material point on which they grounded Shortlaud's justification, we have to regret that the evidence we had to lay before the commissioners, and 14 hich would, ii a our opinion, have sufficiently cleared up that point ) vas not examined. On the ringing of the alarm-bell, the rush towards the gates leading into the market-square was so great (at, tracted as has been before stated by curiosity) that those in front were irresistibly pushed forward by those in the rear, and if the chain had not broke, the lock must have given way to the pressure, and by this opening, it is but natural to suppose, that a number must have been shoved into the square, in front of the soldiers, who were drawn up in a line across the square, with Shortland at their head. If, as the report now goes on to state, there was no direct proof before them of a previous concert or prepara. flop on the part of the prisoners, and no evidence of their intention or disposition to effect their escape on this occasion, excepting that whicit arose by inference front the whole of the detailed circumstances connected tone. ther, had Mr. King examined the evidence on the part of the prisoners, as minutely as it seems he examined those on the part of Shortland, he could not even have drawn the shadow of an inference of that being their intention. Where the commissioners got their evidence for assert. lug that Capt. Shortland, by quiet means and persuasion, endeavoured to persuade the prisoners to retire into their respective yards, is unaccountable to us, as those who know Capt. Shorthand, know he is not a man of persua sion. It is correct that Dr. M'Cl milt used every exertion to persuade the prisoners to retire out of the square, which, if Shorthand had allowed sufficient time, would have been quietly done—but the crowd, by this time, had got so great, and the pressure in the rear so strong, that those in front could not retreat until time should be allowed for the rear to fall back ; but, the hasty, haughty, and overbearing temper of Shortland could not allow him to use such conciliatory means. He orders (the re. port says) fifteen tile of the guard fronting the open gate, to the charge ; and, after some little time, the charge was so far effectual., with but very little or no injury to the prisoners, as to drive them, for the most part, quite out of the square, with the exception of a small number, who continued their resistance about No. 1 gate. Under these circumstances, continues the report, the firing corn. menced. Here we beg leave to request an attentive perusal of the affidavits of some of the prisoners, taken by the com mittee) and which relates particularly to this part of 04 NV c . . .. • it 4. ... 4 e .• • MI. K Ku 1. IrW V i• 4. ~, .... a. . L ounds 1‘ - • I 4WP ~ ,..g. .. 1. . Aq .• • ir. e l) 1 AN4 i •••• ',, 4,0 1 "'• ... , 1 ' ....._ THE NATIONAL REGISTER.