176 journal, ti.a.s. (ceylon). [Yol. IT., Part II. 



Escapes have been chiefly made from the parties at work 

 at a distance from the prison, and are generally effected by 

 men who were not liable to be suspected of such an intention, 

 although there can be no rule given for placing confidence 

 on any prisoner as regards his not escaping ; for men have 

 escaped from the prison whose periods of imprisonment re- 

 maining were found to have been only fourteen days, thirty- 

 six days, three months, and forty-five days respectively. 



Of the general character of the prisoners the following 

 Table of Offences will give an idea : — 



Convicted of 



No. 



Convicted of 



No. 



Murder 



3 



Rape 



3 



Manslaughter 



12 



Poisoning 



1 



High treason 



2 



Forgery ... 



3 



Violent assault 



15 



Uttering forged in- 





Assault 



13 



strument 



7 



Assault and robbery ... 



31 



Arson 



1 



Burglary 



15 



Pejury 



3 



Burglary and robbery . . . 



26 



Maliciously killing 





Highway robbery 



20 



cattle 



2 



Cattle stealing 



35 



Breach of local Or- 





Robbery 



22 



dinances 



6 



Having stolen property 



19 







Theft 



16 



Total ... 



300 



It will be seen from the following table that the prisoners 

 are chiefly young men, and the prison books show that the 

 weighty offences are committed by men advanced in years, 

 to a certain extent : — 



50 



years of age 



and upwards 



11 



45 



do. 



do. 



13 



40 



do. 



do. 



11 



35 



do. 



do. 



24 



30 



do. 



do. 



60 



25 



do. 



do. 



111 



20 



do. 



do. 



63 



18 



do. 



do. 



7 



Total 



300 



