The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-03-11
ONLY 10 ESCAPE
Jail IN ENGLAND
WITHIN ONE YEAR
Was Unusually Large Num-
ber-AII Were Re cap
tured.
BIZ United Press

BIZ United Press
LONDON, March 11.-Ten escapes
were made from British prisons last
year. ALL the fugitives were recap
tured.
The number of escapes was abnor-
nlal-the total during year rarely
exceeds two or three. The fact that
those who made a dash for freedom
were soon back again in Jail was
an ordinary matter of procedure.
The rarity Of escapes is a marked
tribute to British prison discipline
as eXemplified from the governor of
the prison down to the lowest paid
TALLER. 1t is illustrative of the inn
nlunity of prison officials from graft
ing.
TEle practice of selling dope, liquor
and even guns to the inmates of jails
known to occur in the United States,
Isl an unheard of thing in Britain.
When the question was put to
high police official as whether such.
a@practice had been attempted, his
denial was emphatic.
Prompt Action
Impossible, he declared. "There
have been minor attempts at snug
Cling tobacco, but that is the extent
of grating in this country. Even
that offense is being gradually wiped
out in consequence of the severe
penalties incurred by the miscre-
ants
Escapes from prisons result In
quick action by the British Prison
Commission body governing pris-
on conditions here.
In the summer of last year, three
escapes, each within short period
of each other, were made from Pen
tonville prison in the suburb Of Lon
don. A few weeks later an an
nouncement was made in the news
papers that the governor, Major f.
w. Blake, had resigned from his po-
sition.
This typical incident is Of the Sec
recy with which the authorities de-
sire happenings inside British jails
to be kept. Major Blake contracted
with a certain newspaper to supply
a series of articles on the lives and
habits of prisoners who had passed
through his hands.
In one article he quoted the last
words of a famous murderer-Fred-
erick Bywaters. Bywaters, on the
morning Of his execution, had con-
versation with Blake relating to Mrs.
Edith Thompson, his co-operator in
the murder, also sentenced to death
and hanged. Bywaters was reputed
to- have said Its her l want to
speak to you about, sir. I'll swear
she was not guilty"
Strict Discipline
For revealing that fact Major
MMake was fined $3.50 in addition to
y costs of the prosecution as hav-
ing contravened the Officials Secrets
Act.
Thus even governors come under
the same rigid code of discipline as
the convicts themselves.
( Jailers in charge of a gang from
which an escape has been made are
suspended until the prisoner has
been caught. They then have to
give before a judge a very thorough
reason for the escape. If the expla-
nation is not satisfactory, the jailer
is instantly dismissed. No second
chance is given. They want as Jail
ers in British prisons only men who
never let up; never accept bribes;
never allow prisoners to escape from
the fear of their surroundings. The
remarkable thing, from the Ameri-
can public's point Of view. is that
they get them.
I THAT is the main reason why crime
in Britain is on the decline.
I "A prison sentence is given as a de-
tArrent, and with the methods
adopted in British prisons it is an
excellent deterrent. Many observers
believe it might with advantage be
copied by the United States.