The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-07-19 00:00:00

THR CONvICT SIUTINY AT PORTLAND
PRISON.

The officials belonging to the oonvict establishment hem ;
were thrown into &Maloof great excitement and alarm '
on Tumday by the initurreciion of • gang of convicts '
now undergoing their period of imprisonment to the
prima. It appears that on that day the new dietary
system had been Introduced, and thit seems to have
greatly disaatiofied the convicts. Everything, however, '
went on well until after the men had been maraud
back from dinner, when • gang employed in • quarry
refused to work, and attacked one of the Civil guards.
The impression amocist the convicts tippettred to be
that the guards Would tint am the short Enfield rilks
with which they were supide I ; but tide turned out to
boa (slimy. den-rad the gang roiled upon the guard,
attempting to knock him down with their pickesse an
shovel., when the °fiver discharged hi, weapon, shichtly
wounding one of the ring.le.d. in, •nd by this time he
tad received amistatnee from his brother otßoera. the
result of which was that they fired upon the mot, fur
or five of whom were shot, receiving however onit
slight wounds. This measure had the titres of qualms
li. distort:mom The outbreak was einfined to this
gang, who were working near the CU ton Hotel, and
after the riot bad hoes quelled the party were marched
beak to the prison and weaned In punishment cells.
'Fise military were called to she tee of the disturbancv,
hot their amistemee Itrelt not required.
The feeling of insubordinio ton *mongol the convict,
mintinom to he exhibited, althoogh no outbreak
hns taken idiot since Tuesday. Every day low nUmbers
id the m, n rofuee to work, alleging al MI oxence that
at sufficient foo t is given them, under the new dietary
.ystent. to keep their strength tni. On Friday • large
body of the connote refuted to leave their sheds alto r
dinner and remote work, and it man not dotal the aid
of the military was obtoined ills% thee would resome
their occopotion. &hyoid eV; ry hour, men are mar bed
bock front the onorrlet, l'indouffe.l, to the treou, sod
we are informed from loyalties we have U 111.41, that
about 230 have become refractory, and are now co,
Lied in their red. The rin,leottem of the rot of
Tuesday are recovering from toe injudes wit b thiy
received from the civil guards. It ens expected that
on Thundav, Fiiday, and Maturity, the men would
*silo turn mutinous at numhers of them were severed
I sired on those days, but such was not the ewe. The
preservation of order among t mis no doubt to be attri-
buted to the foot that the guards have eec., ed orders to
fire upon the sours. should atiother outbreak take place,
and alro to the 'scald nt arranernitrots which hay*
been outdo by Captain Clay, the governor of the prison,
and Captain Du Cann, director of convict pinto., the
latter of whom is now engaged in instituting inquineo
respecting the oothetak, sod is awarding punlooment
to the "II d.ers• Every Ova:notion han been token to
snowman' • revolt should oive unfortunately take pie.,
two detachments of the Nth Foot being statioced in the
vicinity ot convict labour, one overlooking the binaries
on the mist side of the Wand, and the other near the
West Quarry, where the outbreak of Tuesday con,
nienoed. In addition to nos force there is • strong re-
; serve of the civil guard steamed in " the Went," in
case their mebtance should be ate 1.-d. In the mean.
; while the insubordinate convicts see eonfined to their
cells, and dieted on bread and water, but whilst thus
trusted some of them see very violent.