The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-05 00:00:00

CLERKEIV IVELL,

George Marks, a painter, and formerly a member of
the Islington Temperance Hall, in South-street, was
charged with violently assaulting several members of
that body, and police-constable Harris, 112 N.
It appeared from the evidence of Mr. Joyce,
.the
Chairman, who resides at 27, Cliff-street, Islington,
and of other members, that on the previous
night between nine and ten o'clock, there was
meeting of the Committee, when the prisoner came to the
foot of the stairs, and after committing the gossest possi-
ble insult went into the Committee-room, and by his
notorious behaviour prevented the proceedings from
going forward. The Chairman desired him to leave, but
he became more violent. Harris was sent for, and when
he attempted to remove the prisoner, he kicked him
violently on the legs. At the top of the stairs the chair
man attempted to assist the constable, but the prisoner
kicked him so severely that he still felt great pain from
the injuries received. A reinforcement of constables
came, but such was the prisoner's violence that
it required their combined exertions and several of
the members as well to convey the prisoner to the
station-house. On the way thither he assaulted
almost every one who accompanied him. In some hours
after he was admitted to bail, and he was hardly re-
leased when the windows of the Temperance-hall were
broken.

The prisoner, when called upon for his defence, said
he had infested a considerable sum of money in the
llall, but left them about a year ago • he went there
last night for the purpose of getting back his money.
Instead of carrying out the objects of temperance, they
were playing cards in the Ball until three o'clock in the
morning, and this was their habit.
The Chairman said the prisoner had repeatedly been
guilty of similar conduct.
Mr. CO MBE committed the prisoner, in default of pay-
ment of fine, to the House of Correction, for three weeks.

DARING ATTEMPT TO BREAK
OUT OF GAOL.

On the night of Thursday last, a bold and well
planned attempt to break out of the Derby County
Gaol took place, which, from the promptitude and
vigilance of the Governor, and particularly of
Mr. Sims, jun., as well as the officers of the
prison, was successfully frustrated. It appears, that
three of the prisoners (whose names we forbear
to publish, as they remain to be tried for various
offences) had for some time previously been in com-
munication with each other during the period when
they were in school and in the exercising yard, and
had contrived to arrange a plan of escape from their
cells, in the first place by forcing the bolt which se-
cures the door, and afterwards, if they were able to
obtain access to the outer wall, of which they con-
sidered themselves certain, as they had determined to
seize the turnkeys who might be in their way, to
scale the wall by means of a rope prepared for the
purpose.
The way in which this plan was discovered was as
follows :—Three weeks since the officers of the prison
found that the quantity of oakum which was given out
to these three prisoners to pick was not returned—that
it was deficient in weight—and this exciting their sus-
picion, they determined to watch their movements, and
to make an examination of the cells, when they found
pieces of rope hidden with the view of being instrumen-
tal in effecting the contemplated descent. No notice,
however, was taken of this, nor was the smallest
attention paid to so strong a circumstance in the
hearing of the three prisoners, as, with the concur-
rence of the Visiting Justices, who were made ac-
quainted with what had been going forwards from the
commencement, it was determined to suffer the men
to attempt their escape, all parties being prepared to
act as occasion might direct. The prisoners were,
therefore, closely watched, and, from what tran-
spired, it was found that they had agreed to
attempt their escape from gaol on the night of Thurs-
day last. On that evening they accordingly com-
menced operations about seven o'clock, and it was
discovered that, during the afternoon, they had con-
trived to bend the bolt of their cells in such a man-
ner as to render its removal from the proper place not
particularly difficult. They were visited about nine
o'clock by the two turnkeys, whose duty it is to go
round the prison to ascertain if all is safe, and if tt-e
prisoners are in their beds. Mr. Sims, jun., had
stationed himself in the passage leading to these cells
as early as seven o'clock, and remained there until
one of the cell-doors was forced, during which time
he frequently heard the prisoners call to each other
and arrange their movements. This took place about
a quarter to eleven o'clock, when one of the
prisoners succeeded in effecting an entrance from
his cell into the passage. He first went to the doer
leading from the passage, and found it fast, and at '
the top of the stairs Mr. Sims, jun., met him, and
cast upon his face the glare of a lantern which
he had with him, and immediately stopped his
further progress by throwing him down the stairs.
Two of the officers of the prison were with Mr.
Sims at the time, who secured the prisoner. A
rope, made from the oakum to which we have alluded,.
was found in one of the cells, with which the pri-
soners would have endeavoured to have scaled the
outer boundary wall of the prison, had they suc-
ceeded in getting so far. It is most probable, how-
ever, that had they attempted this, they would have
found the task far too difficult for them to accomplish.
We may be permitted to add, that the detection of
this attempt to force the prison, and the means taken
to secure the prisoners, reflect great credit on the
vigilance and discretion of the Governor and officers
of the prison, and will go very far to prevent such an
attempt being repeated.—Derby Reporter.