The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-16 00:00:00

A DESPERATE CONVICT.

The New York journals contain an account of an
exciting scene with a tragic ending at Sing Sing, the
great forced-labour prison of the State of New York,
which was very near resulting in a general insurrec-
tion among the convicts.

Barrett, a burglar, 21 years of age, undergoing a
three years' sentence, had been shamming sickness.
The prison doctor declared him quite fit for the work
upon which he was engaged. The next morning, as
the doctor was passing one of the cells where unruly
convicts are kept apart, the door of the cell being
partly open, Barrett threw the foul contents of his
bucket in the doctor's face, saying, " I'll see if you
won't give me a (sick) ticket." For this he was
" pea dled"—i. e. ,beaten with a leathern strap by the chief
keeper or warder. He refused to submit and had to
be held down by main force. He was then placed in
irons and locked up in his cell. Next morning two
officers were despatched to bring him from the cell for
medical inspection. He kept his hands in his pockets.
Being ordered to take them out of his pockets and fold
them, cne of the officers saw he had in one hand some
bright instrument. The officer struck at him with a
cane, calling out to warn his comrade, but too late.
Barrett plunged the sharp knife deep into the thigh of
this latter, and, soringitg up, fled. An exciting
chase followed. When tound at last in one of
the workshops of the iron foundry, he WPB armed
with a heavy hammer and some iron fragments.
When the officers called on him to surrender, he
defied them. One of the officers named Good ap-
proached, intending to seize him, and covered him
with a revolver. Barrett hurled one of the sharp iron
fragments at Good, narrowly missing him. Good
fired, but missed; and Barrett, who never quailed
before the shot, jumped through a window, and the
chase began anew. At last he was brought to bay
in the very room where he usually worked, and in
the midst of his comrades, who naturally became much
excited and cheered the rebel. Once more called upon
to surrender, Barrett demanded that all should be for-
given. The chief warder said it was out of his 'sewer
to make such a promise. Then Barrett refused to sub-
mit, and began to swing his hammer at the warder. At
this critical moment the dinner bell rang. In a few
minutes all the convicts would be released from work, and
all the chances were in favour of the supposition that
Barrett's conduct would incite to a general revolt.
The men in the shop, 200 in number, broke up from
work, surrounded the officers, jeering them, screaming,
cheering, and swearing. An officer made a rush at Bar-
rett. but the latter raised his hammer and would have
probably braiood him had not another warder tirpd at
the convict. HiA hands went up, Purl ho fell forw•trde,.
He was dead. The effect was instantaneous. The scowl-
ing and mutinous convicts instantly fell back into line,
terrified at the death of their comrade, and in a
moment order and silence were restored.

A children's tramway, drawn by goats, is to be
established on the Plinio at some.