approaching correctness, the change of halters must be something like a descent "from the frying-pan into thefire" with a vengeance. THE FIRST TREADMILL.
To provide salutary muscular exercise for the rogues and vagabonds already "putting in an appearance," it had been resolved to procure the addendum of a treadmill at the cost of ,£280. T h e "milling" apparatus was to perform no other function than simply revolve—no other grinding than perspiration out of its patrons on a w a r m day, to be propelled by no other motive power than the instep-oil of the rascals w h o footed the everlasting staircase, and it was anything but a " merry-go-round " for those w h o peripherised in this horizontal step-dance. It was to be constructed on a scheme capable of accommodating sixteen persons, i.e., a trotting team of ten, and a relief squad of six awaiting their turn for a " mill." After the average circumlocution, the gyrating machine was completed, but it soon began to disappoint the reformatory anticipations indulged in. Like a bad clock it would not keep time, and its motions, w h e n it did take it into its head to go, were of a very erratic character. At all events, it was always getting out of order, and never gave satisfaction. Its opening day was, not inappropriately, the 1st April, 1842, and after a few weeks' working the concern broke d o w n with a grand smash, under the prancing pedestrianism of ten lubberly scamps, and to the unmitigated delight of all the rascaldom in the country. There was no mechanical talent in Melbourne able to rehabilitate it, and it was consigned to a lumber store, where it remained in limbo for some years, when its material was utilised in another similar experiment in another place. S o m e idea ofthe internal state of the prison towards the close of 1842, will be gathered from the following extract, copied from a Melbourne newspaper of the 1st N o v e m b e r : — " T H E GAOL.—A correspondent w h o signs himself ' A (Late) Debtor,' has sent us a long letter containing information relative to some of the interior arrangements of the gaol, which, if our correspondent is to be believed, require alteration. H e says there are three turnkeys employed in the establishment, one free and two bond, one of the latter being the m a n w h o hanged the blacks for the murder of the whites at Western Port—the second being the present hangman. These m e n , w e are told, do not know h o w to occupy their time, ' for when they are not larking with the w o m e n and using most disgusting language, they are amusing themselves playing marbles.' O u r correspondent complains, and with justice, that these m e n ' are allowed to have control over free m e n and debtors,' and adduces an instance of its impropriety, in the case of a decent female, 'who went to the gaol a few days since to see her husband, w h o had been confined for debt. T h e female was searched very minutely by one of these ruffians to ascertain if she had any spirits or tobaccoShe mentioned the circumstance to her husband, and on being informed it was " Jack Ketch" w h o had searched her, she fainted, and continued in a fit for some time afterwards.' Our correspondent concludes by expressing his surprise that there should n o w be three turnkeys employed at the gaol, when about five months ago there were nearly double the number of prisoners, and but one turnkey." A FLIGHT OF GAOL BIRDS.
Early on the morning of Sunday, 5th March, 1843, there occurred a serious break prison, in which four notorious convicts m a d e a successful exeunt. 'Phis was accomplished by the removal of some bricks from the wall, and through the opening so m a d e they passed into the yard, where they were joined, as a confederate, by a soldier-sentry. This fellow unlocked a door which let them into liberty, andflinginghis musket and accoutrements into a refuse pit, he accompanied them in their flight. T h e bolters were named William Duncan, and James M'Guire, burglars, under sentence of transportation for life; William M'Donald, burglary,fifteenyears, and William Rafter, cattle stealing, fourteen years; the soldier's n a m e was William Beacroft. T h e corporal's guard coming round to relieve about an hour after, discovered that certain gaol birds had flown, and raising an alarm, a hasty but fruitless pursuit was organised. T h e fugitives "-ot away towards Geelong, and off to the then "far west," where they "bushranged" and pillaged in a promiscuous style. Intelligence of several daring outrages, supposed to have been perpetrated by them, reached Melbourne in due course, but none of the runaways were ever re-captured.
T w o h u m a n skeletons
