Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-06-23
A PENAL COLONY.
where the worst criminals ia the World
Are Kept.

] Where the Nhiht
Are Kept.
A few weeks ago convict az Fort
Blair. in the Andamrn islands rushed
upon Colonel llorsford with an as,
/ cut Oh two fingers Of his left hand
and wounded him in the head before
he could be- disarmed Colonel
! lIorsford, who is tho chief ccmmia-
sloner OF the islands, has since been
reported as out OF danger
Thirteen thousand cOnylcts are
living at Port Blair which is proba'
/ biz the largest penal settlement ~
/ the world. says the New York sun.
/ The Andaman islands are ia the ba7
81 Bengal and to Port Blair il sent
/ theIrefuse Of go, 100000 people.
The worst criminals Of British In
/ dia and Burma. II they incur long
sentences OF imprisonment, are sent
/ 10 Port Blair, over 5000 are serving
/ life sentences The attack upon the
chief official OF the islands is all the
more noteworthy because, since the
settlement Of Port Blair was started
/ in 1897, with the mutinOus Sepoys as
/ first colOnist5, there have beeu bur
twOmnrderous assaults on Europeans
/ by e0nyicts, aud set 10 guide this
army Of eyildOer5 only one company
I Of British infantry and several hun
dred Puujah police arr employed. 8
/ very small force when IL Il cOnsid,
erred that there are no prison walls,
and that the convict barracks are
scattered all over the settlement,
which is several miles square
The hundred ar more boats and
canoes required for the work u the
settlement are ia mo carefully
guarded than the prisoners them
selves There is no chance 10 Is.
cape except BY capturing these
boats Eyen then there w0aid bs
little hope 81 freedom FOR the Anda
mans ARE far from land and lle Ia d
region oi tempe.ts The oaly refuge
II the forest. where runaWays arc
sure 10 die oi starvation. II thsy are
not shot by the natives The aa,
thoritles. therefore. have IS little
fear Of any attempts 20 escape that
a. many as 800 Ut tho couVlrfs arc
often sent ten miles away without
any guards except their own officers
Ercn 10 thi, Isolated place re
markable Incident occars nos ana
then 30 wary the mouot1ny OF In.
cessaut road making aud forces. isll.
Ing Nearly eleven years ago sounds
were heard like che firing Of bIs
guns aud l. &as thought a war .htr,
nad gone ashore on >outH Ardftrran
Tho station steamer wa, sen, ,g
carry relief 90 tbo crew. but ns
wreck wa, found The aoisss gars
from hrakatpa. Loco miles aHas.
where the most tremendous volcanic,
disturbance 80 modern titurs was si
progress Year. ago tAs shin Fua-
nymede sailed from Australia prI
the ship brttou from England. each
having on board battalion ~ ,b.,
Eghticth Foot mo regiment Ma
TO be reunited a. RaHgoan Un.
dark night TERRIBLE storm eau,hf
both vessels near tha AHiauans arI
great wave carried them hl,h ,,
the shore. Ncxt morning. the r.rf.
'f-'fhtH p ftNahNt tIlk Sra GffEF.
reunited ON the island Tho bait
Ialious had Travelled around tfe
world 10 meet ana stranger me.,.
ing never occurred
The administration Of thl. uonat
colony Is "a remarkable systom 81 r.
wards and punishment lugartab'r
good conduct secures better food IN
creased comforts. ana finally wasrs
for days work. rwenty year. ~
obedience 70 the rulos secures \ p.r.
don for life couvicts rardona aFa
often granted for deeds Of gauaa,ry.
and murderers. red handed hua WIEN
weapons ready haze boon seized 5.
their fellows. who riskod their liy.s
70 gain the coveted freedom The
attempt TO assassiuutc the chief Of
fetal Of the colony may result in "a.
strictions that the couyicts have
hitherto escaped