The Sun. — 1850-01-14 (London, England)

SUN, LONDON,  ALARMING MUTINY BY THE PRISONERS IN APPLEBY GAOL. _  John Jackson, John Hart, end John Wall, Under sentence of transportation, and John Wilson and Riasrd Morgan, under sentence of imprisonment, five most desperate and ruffianly characters, were confined in the same ward of Appleby Gaol. They had been punished more than once for insubordination, and on Wednesday, after they had taken their dinner in the day-room, they commenced throwing and kicking about the tin basins in which their soup had been supplied, and otherwise manifesting a riotous intention. Mr. Thwaites, the governor, remonstrated with them, and threatened solitary confinement. Wilson set him at defiance, and threw one of the tin basins at the iron bars which separated the governor from them. Mr. Thwaites thereupon insisted on his coming out to be locked up. This he pertinaciously refused to do, and the others (excepting Morgan, who took no part in the revolt) used the most abusive and threatening language to the officers, especially the governor, whom they swore they would kill if he came near them. While Mr. Thwaites left the gaol to obtain additional aid, four of the mutineers armed themselves with the fire shovel, three heavy broom-sticks, the hand!e of a hand corn-mill, and three heavy nutscrews and some iron washers which they screwed off the mill. On the return of the governor with Mr. Bird, the superintendent of police, and other assistants, they threatened to murder the first that entered. The narrowness of the door into the ward will only admit of one person passing through at a time, and the floor of the ward being a little higher than the floor of the passage where the constables stood, and the approach to which is by two steps, the prisoners possessed considerable advantages, and great difficulty was experienced in effecting an entrance. Mr. W. Raine first made an attempt, armed with a constable's staff, but was repelled ; and having retreated a short distance, Wall threw at him one of the nutscrews, weighing a pound, which struck him on the left ear, inflicting a serious wound on the head. This was followed up by the other nutscrew and the washers, one of which struck the turnkey on the back of his head. Additional assistance was now procured ; the door was forced open, and a terrific conflict took place. The prisoners fought desperately, and with an evident intent of fulfilling their previous threats ; but being outnumbered, they were soon subdued. The constables had to apply their staffs to the best advantage they could, both offensively and defensively ; and the resistance they met with aroused their ire to such a degree that the prisoners had to call out to the gaoler (whose life they had just before threatened), to protect them from the unnecessary blows that were being inflicted. Mr. Heelis, the under-sheriff, reached the gaol soon after the mutiny was quelled, and gave directions for the insurgents to be put in heavy irons, as the only effectual means of prevent • ing another revolt. Indeed it would be unsafe to give them even the liberty of the yard, considering their malicious intentions towards the officers, particularly towards Mr. Thwaites, whom Jackson swears he will murder before he leaves the prison, if an opportunity offers.