The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1870-01-18 00:00:00

THE ALLEGED ILLTRELTHENT IN POOLE
LAJCIC-UP.

The magistrate& of the borough who held a private
inquiry as to the treatment of lite man Sims, Clark.
mid Novel in Poole lock-up were--S. Laokaster. S.
Lamy, ILIA W. LC. Ad.y, &qrs. The following report
of the proceedings is sommuumated by Mr. M. Kemp-
Welch, he magstrate,' olerk :
" The following persons have been examined before us :
8 Hunt, superintendent of the Poole polio.: John
131•11r4l eergeent of pollee; and Samuel Reek. amid John licrlven,
privates on duty at the police-station at Poole, at the time
when the Mimed nerlott took Piece.
"Now, we, the Mayor and magistratesaformald. having duly
examined the befurementioued particle. and considered the
circumstances, find the facet' be a. follow.
"Au regard' the pritonert being first taken—First, that Sims,
Clark and Not al were taken to the Poole station shout five
o'clock in the afternoon of the twenty-seventh November, and
on arrival placed in a room nuaby occuned by the police
force, In which a luxe Are was burning ; that they all throe
had the full benefit of the fire and tne room, which is warm
and contfortable. until nearly eight o'clock ; that on the
superintendent's arrival at the station (be having been absent
on d uty at the time) the chute (an open and barefaced robbery)
RSA entered, and the printer" were entered to be placed in
three cells.
"That neither of the prisoners complained !If being wet, nor
see it •Amerted Hid they were no. .
"That the superintendent, in ordering them to be locked
up, also ordered them fool, and each was supplied with braid
and cheese.
"That each of the prbioners was supplied with a Tor, such as
has been always mod in the cells. and approved by her Majesty's
lured* for visiting mud. places.
' As regards the tare of the prisoner; whtist In the 1,114, we
find that about flee of the evening of the filth NoveniNer the
rseerve man enquired of each primmer whether he was all right,
and was answered "Yes* In tbe course of the night each
cell was visited once by the superintendent and three times by
the 'errant, and the rams question put, and no complaint was
made by either. On Sunday morning the pi-boners were cup-
pl led with bread and diem and coffee, and alan twice afterwards
in the course of the day. Touching Sim. in particular (who
was the olden men of the three), the menet man allowed him
to come not on Sunday afternoon and sit by the fire, and gave
him, of his own will, an additional supply dean.
That in consequence JJf another prisoner being brought
to the station drunk and di orderly on Sunday evening Clark
and Sims were placed in one tell on that night, but each had
his rug.
" That on Sunday night prisoners were visited and intern, '
gated. as on Saturdsy night; the prisoners appeared comfort-
able and tnade no complaint. Sims saying to the sergeant," We
are all right "oough,"c ich being wrapped up In • sepirate rug.
As regards the con"uct of the prisoners nbeequently
That on the occasion of their being removed to Dorchester
the prisoner; generally, but dims in particular, expressed him-
self strongly b. both the Superintendent and one of the reserve
men, using these words, 'God Almighty bless you; I shall
sever forget your kindliest.'
" In conclusion, we beg ti add our conviction that in point
of Mee, comfort, and ventilation, the cells of the Poole police,
station ere ef modern construction, awl far above the "Newt
of each places, and have met with the entire approval of Captain
Willis. her Majesty'. Inspector.
" That there is at all time. (day and night) a reserve man,
who may he communicated with by any prisoner.
" That in the particultrcan under consideration the greaten
care and consideration were given by the police to the pritonere.
and we desire to add or strong opini n that ts fore the
coroner'e jury rand • censure on the police authorities, they
should, in comm n Junin, have had an opportunity of being
enjoined. We feel mend that had the jury done so they
would have come to the edicludon at which we have •rrived,
via, that the Jeannine of the pr soners Wero unworthy of
credit, and that the police were not only free from all culpability
but that they discharged the duty imp toed on them with
scrupulous care and kindnese."