conducting to a wooden stockade recently erected without, where a gang of prisoners used to be employed breaking stones for the Corporation. This door-way had been broken through the wall, and the door put in so recently, that the stones bonding the frame had not time to thoroughly set, facts of which the escapee must have been aware. Entering the Stockade, he found a ladder and by its means surmounted the twelve feet timber enclosure, and got away unperceived by the Military Guard, who, being on duty marching up and d o w n outside the Northern wall, could not have cognizance of what was going on at the other end. This fellow remained at large until February, 1851, when he was re-arrested at Geelong, and subsequently convicted and punished for prison-breaking. T h e two m e n locked up with him were convicted robbers named Craven and Curran, whose sentences had nearly expired, a sufficient reason for not joining in the flight. There was then known to be a Thieves' Association in Melbourne, and Craven, when out of trouble, was believed to be their skeleton-key maker. Nothing was known ofthe escape by the gaol officials until a turnkey came round at five next morning. Craven and Curran, when questioned, professed m u c h surprise and utter ignorance of Taylor's doings, as they were fast asleep the whole night. Whilst in gaol Taylor was identified as the perpetrator of a daring highway robbery on the Broken River, and was, no doubt, unwilling to chance another trial and a probable addition of anotherfiveyears to the sentence he was undergoing. To the credit of that branch of humanity known as woman-kind, it contributed but a small proportion to the criminal population, and when, in July, 1850, the gaol swarmed with 140 males, the number of female prisoners was only 18. INSUBORDINATE STONE-BREAKERS.
- As previously stated a small wooden palisaded enclosure was attached to the Western end of the prison yard, in which a gang used to be employed supplying broken metal for macadamizing the streets, which was used and paid for by the Corporation. O n the 4th March, 1851, about 50 prisoners were employed stone-knapping. They were serving sentences of imprisonment for periods varying from two and three, to five years, and were under the control of two free overseers (Murphy and Hartnett) and a warder (queerly enough named Tender) fully armed. In addition there was a soldier-sentry on guard perambulating the North side of the gaol yard, and a military reserve of four m e n in the guard room. The three free overseers were assisted by three good-conduct prisoners as acting-overseers, named Williams, Boucher and Doyle. About 3 p.m., Thompson, one of the stone-breakers, rushed suddenly to the outer gate, and with a couple of strokes of his hammer, smashed the lock. Half-a-dozen others were instantaneously up in arms with picks and hammers, as if acting in concert, and determined to support their leader. Murphy and Hartnett called upon them to desist, and Murphy snatching a hammer, charged Thompson, but was in his turn followed and pinioned by a prisoner named Johnstone. Murphy quickly shook the fellow off, and turning rapidly round, throttled him. Hartnett gave an alarm, which was heard without by Tender, w h o planted himself in front of the door, prepared for action. Before the commencement ofthe melee, Salmon and Quinn two of the prisoners contrived, unnoticed by the overseers, to secure the door, communicating with the gaol yard, by shooting a large bolt, and so shutting off assistance from within. A general scuffle now ensued, though the deadly weapons in every one's hands were not resorted to. It was a kind of blind scrambling, in the course of which the convict overseers gave much help, and one of them was pounced upon by a huge highwayman, named M'Kay, w h o tried hard, but unavailingly to garrote him. Jack Harris, the ex-hangman, was at this time serving a sentence for larceny at Geelong, and the gaoler sagaciously employed him as a look-out over the stone yard. His watch-tower was one of the upper windows from which the bars were removed, and here, perched like an owl, he passed his time tiresomely enough. H e was a wicked-minded old scamp, praying Providence for something to turn up to vary the stillness of the gaol, and the ding dong of the stone-breaking. H e had no gong to strike nor bell to ring, nor rocket to throw up if anything went wrong. H e could screech like a hungry hya?na, and the gaoler's orders were, "Harris, the m o m e n t you observe anything go wrong, you have good lungs, and you are to commence yelling and shouting, and making every noise you can out of your mouth and throat until some of us below hear you." Harris promised compliance, and when the chance offered kept
