The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1815-08-02
MisCeiiany.
DARTMOOk MASSACRE

From fAe Nalisnai Ig;sliyeaser Of Jse IL 1873
We lay before the public documents lately recciy,
from England, relative 10 the killing and woan...
ING OF the American citizens imprisoned at D.,,.
moor:
Plymo;,S, ssh .4hr:., 1878.
We, the undersigned commissions $, ap.
| pointed on behalf of our respective goycrns
men's, TO inquire into and report upon, the
unfortunate occurrence Of the 9th April instA
az Dartmoor prison having carefully perus.
cd the proceedings of tho several courts ct
inquiry instituted imme aia,ely after that event,
by The orders OF Adm. Sir John L. Duckworh
| and Major General Brown, respectively, us
well as the dispositions taken at the coronel's
inquest upon the bodies OF the prisoners, whc
| lost their lives opon that melancholy occasion.
upon which inquest the jury found yerdies
oi Juslihablc homicide |; proceed imme edia,ely
10 the examination upon oath in The presenrc
| OF one vr more oftts magistrates of the vicini.
| ~, oil all the Witnesses both Amer,can ana
English, who offered themselves for that pur.
pose or who could bc discovered as likely to
afford any material information on the subject,
as wen Us those who, have been previously cx.
amiaed before the coroner, az otherwise, tc
the number an the whole OF about eighty. We
further proceeded to minute examination Of
the prisoners, tor the purpose Of CLEARING up
some points which upon the evidence alone
were scarcely Ineligible oh,ainlng from tho
prisoners, and from the officers of the depot,
all tho necessary assistance and explanation
and promising that we have been from ncc-
| cssliy competed to iraw many Of our coaclc-
slams from statements and evidence highly|
contradiclory,we do now make upon the whoe|
| proceedings the following report :--
During the period which has elapsed sincr
the arrival in this country Of the account o
| the ratification oil the treaty of Ghen,, an In
| creased degree of res,lessncss and impaiiencs
OF confinement appears TO have prevailed
| mongst the American prisoners at Dartmoor
! which, though not exhibited in the shape q
| any violent excesscs, has been principally in
dicatcd by threats Of breaking out il not 500
| released.
On the 9TH ofthis month in particular, ohl
two days previous TO the events the subjec
OF this inquiry, a large body OF the prisoneT
rushed into the market square, from whcnc
| by the regulations of the prison, they are cS
! -cluded, demanding bread, instead of biscu
which had on that day been issued by The of
GERS OF The depot their demands howcvS
having been then almost Immediately con
piled with, they returned 10 their own yafd
and the employment OF force on that occssi
became unnecessary.
On the evening Of the 9Th, about six o'c
It was clearly proved to US, that a breach
hole had been made in one Of the Srison wal
sufficient for foil sized man to pass, and q
others had been commenced iD the course
the day near The same spot, though nc
completed.
That number OF the prisoners were
tho railing erected to prevent them from Cd
municating with the centincls on the wa
which was OF course forbidden By the reg,
| tions Of the prison, and that 10 the space
tween the Railing aud those walls they "
tearing up pieces Of turf, and wsn,only pei
each other in q noisy and disordery manne
That much more considerable numbc
the prisoncfs was collected together st
time in one oftheir yards near tho place wi
the breach was effected, and that aItho
| such collection of prisoners was not nnu
at other times (the Gambling Tables b
! commonly kept In that part Of the yard)
| when connected with the circumstance
| the breach, and the time Of the d q, W
was after the hour the signal for the priso
! TO retire to their respective prisons had
| cd TO sound, IL became O natural and
ground Of alarm TO those who had char
the depot.
II was also in EVIDENCE that in the bui
formerly the petty officers prison, but
the guard barrsck, which stands in the "
which the hole 10 the wall would servo
communication, a part of the arms o
guard who were off duty, were usually
10 the racks, and though there was no evil
that this was In any respect the motive
induced the prisoners 10 make the open
the wall, or even that they were ever scq
cd with tho fact, j, naturally became
further cause OF suspicion and alarm
an additional reason for prceau,ien.
Upon these grounds Capt. 5hortian
pesss TO us to have been justified in
the order, which about this time he see
have piyen, TO sound the alarm hell tbe