North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-01-22
Darirn0or Massacre.
onfinued from last page.

Thi. he naturally concluded would draw the at
tsnllon of great number Of prisoners toward
the Gates, ia learn tie canse OF the alarm, whii'
the turnkeys we're despatched into the yards, t.
lock an tie doors but oac Of each prison, tn pre-
vent the prisoners retrca,ue oGi of the way before
he had sufficiently wreakcd has vengeance.
What adds peculiar weight "a tho belief of ~
being premetiiated. determined massacre, arc,
Fnsi-The sauguiuary disposition manifested
on every occAs,on by ShurlIa d, he having, prot
So this irne. ordered tho soldiers to fire into the
Rrisons, threuah the prison wiHdows. upon unarm-
Cd prisoners asleep n' their hammneks on account
Of a light being In the prisons: which barba-
rons ACT was repeated several nights excessively.
That murder was not then committed, was owlng
20 an over-rsiliag Providence alone; for The balls
were picked ap IN the prisons, where they passed
threwsa the hammacks of men asleep ~ them. He
also haying ordered the soldiers 10 ere upon the
prisoners the yard Of Va. prison, because they
would no, deliver ~ to h,m a who bad es-
capped from his cacbot, which order the command.
Ing afKcer af the saIiies refused to obey and
geaeraliv. he having seized on every light pretex
10 iuIare tina prisoners, by stopping their market
ing for ten days repeatedly, and once, a third
part Of their provisions for The same length Of
time
Secondly--Hc having been heard to say, when
tho bows had picked the hole il the wail, and
soners were quiet as usual in the respective yards
-" RI fir the damad rGseGts direetiy.'
Thrdly--Ii Ills having all The soldiers on their
posts aud the garrison, fully prepared before the
alarm bell rung. II could not then, of course, be
rune 10 assemble the soldiers. but alarm the pri-
soners, and create confusion among them.
Fourshlv--The soldiers upon the wall, previous
20 the alarm bell being rung, informing the prison.
srs that they would be charged upon directly.
mt Iha IA
and chasing ali the doors bat in each prison,
while the attention of the prisoners was attracted
by the alarm bell. This done about fifteen
minutes sooner than usual and without informing
abe prisoners il was time TO shut up. IL was ever
the lnvariabie practice Of the turkeys, from which
they never dcsiaed before that night. when COM
ing into the ward 10 shut up, TO hal'oo TO the prIs
eaers, so loud az he heard Throughout the yard,
/" lafn in. tara In 7" while that night 1t was
done secretly, that not enc man IN hundred
knew they were shut and ia particular their
shutting The door Of No. prison. which tho prs
oners usually go in and out at (and which waS
formerly always closed lasi) AID lcasife one open
in the other end of The prison, which was exposed
90 eroSs-6re from the soldiers the walls, aud
which The prisoners had to pass 10 gaining the
prisons.
We lii ewise believe. from the dispositions OF
men Who eye.wiinesses Of part Of Short
tandE conduct on the evening OF the Dth ol AVfi,
that he was inloxca'ea with liquor at the time ;
from hts brutality 10 beating prisoner then sup
porting another severely wounded; from the
BLACKBOARD and abusive language he made use Of
and from his having frequently been seen in The
same state His being drunk was Of course the
means af nGan,ins his bitter enrniiy against the
and no dosbt he eagse Of The IN
discriminate hatchery, and Of 10 quarter being
shown.
We here soeuanly aver that there was pre-
plan TO aiiemp; breaking out. There
sasEot be produced the least shadow Of a reason
'r indueemeni Tor that intention, the prisoners
Sally expecting to he released, and to embark ON
board cartels ior iheir native country. And do
fkesise solenHly assert, iha, there was no nea-
100 Of resisting, Ia any manner, the authority Of
his depot.
N.B. Seven were killed. 60 dangerously wound
a. ard 90 sghsy wounded Total CT.
Slgnss) WA u. otne, Jexerh F. Trobridse, I
Wa. Hobart, John Rust.
James Boses. Henry Allen,
James Adams, Waiter Cotton,
FraBcis Joseph, Thomas y. Mott,
Comniiiee.
Dertzeer Prison, april z, 1915. I
(To be- eoafiAatd)
From Maeksnris's Gazette. In