The Poole Telegram. — 1880-11-19 (Poole, Dorset, England)

DARTMOOR.  The mutinous conduct of two prisoners at the Dartmoor Convict Prison, on Friday, would, in all probability, have led to serious results but for the prompt measures adopted by the officers in charge of the gang. It appears that for about a month there had been a feeling of uneasiness among the officers in charge of the gang, the convicts having, at timer, shown symptoms of insubordination. This particular gang usually numbers from 30 to xi convicts, and includes some of the most desperate characters of the prison. On Friday afternoon they were working in the quarry, which adjoins the prison farmyard, in charge of three warders, named Lord, Parker, and Delaney, over them being the principal warder, Westlake ; while on the high bank surrounding the quarry workings were placed a number of the civil guard. A little before four o'clock, Lord thought he saw signs of commotion amongst the prisoners, and told Weslake he had better call them in. The principal at once ordered the prisoners to give up their tools, whereupon a convict, named Bevan, aimed a blow at Westlake's head with a crowbar. The warder received the blow on the shoulder and fell to the ground, but got up almost immediately, not much injured, and ordered the convicts to fall in and march off. When the rank was formed and a start made, Bevan belted towards a plantation, which adjoins the quarry. To reach this spot he would have to climb over a wall from four to five feet in height, but before he could accomplish this a shot was fired at him. This, however, did not much retard his progress, and two other shots were immediately fired, one of which brought him down. Directly Bevan fell, another convict, named O'Brien, left the ranks, and made off, but his flight was also cut short by a couple of shots, one pellet taking effect in the knee, and another lodging in the right breast. The tiring brought other warders to the assistance of their comrades. and the remainder of the gang were marched into the prison without further difficulty. Bevan being placed on a stretcher, Dr. Smalley pronounced life to be extinct. O'Brien is believed to be mortally wounded. It is believed the rising was the result of a matured design among the gang to disable a few of the officers, seize their rifles, and thus lead the way for a general mutiny. Bevan was serving a term of twenty-five years' penal servitude for having, about two years ago, been engaged with three others in the burglary and outrage at Pill, near Bristol. Hart, one of Bevan'a associates in this affair. is also at Dartmoor, and works in the stonebreaking yard. The inquest on the body of Bevan was opened at the prison on Monday. The coroner told the jury that the cage was one of a serious character, inasmuch as the deceased had died by the hand of a fellow-man, and the question for them was whether the violence used was necessary. There were 900 desperate criminals in that establishment, and 100 officials had to exercise such force with such weapons as were necessary to suppress mutinous behaviour or prevent escape from the sentence of the law. The Governor narrated the circumstances attending the death. Bevan was convicted, he said, at Taunton assize for a murderous outrage upan a woman near Bristol. At Pentonville his charocter was good. At Port'and he was found scheming to esc ipe and intimidating. He was found to have handed another prisoner at that prison a tool during Divine service, and with this his comrade had removed the bars from the ventilator, when the attempt was discovered. He at length became so dangerous that he, with two others, was removed, and at Portland railway station the deceased lei an attack on the warders, and the gang had to be overpowered by the police. Since Bevan kad been at Dartmoor his character had been good. The inquiry was adjourned till Thursday