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== Recollections of a Victorian Police Officer by Sup John Sadleir ==

It was a serious thing in those days to lose a prisoner. It meant suspension, or loss of position altogether. Mr [[Chomley (2)|Chomley]] had been several weeks under suspension, in the case before alluded to, although the escape in that instance could scarcely have been provided against. The Chief Commissioner, Captain Macmahon, was justified in the severity of this rule, as so many prisoners had been lost through want of due precautions. Besides, the criminals who are most eager to get away are of a very dangerous class, and their re-capture is often a very difficult and costly business. Some thirteen prisoners escaped from the log lock-up at Ballarat; but for this the military pensioners were alone to blame. In another case a prisoner had been handed over at a police station, and a few minutes later had made good his escape. He got up a pretended fight with other prisoners in the cell, and the Watch house Keeper without waiting to call assistance went in amongst them to stop the fight. The prisoner referred to slipped quietly out, shutting the cell door on the Watch-house Keeper. He was never recaptured. The fact is, the most intelligent men were not always chosen as Watch-house Keepers, as the following incident will show.