7 DECEMBER 1833, Page 5

A discovery was made in Newgate on Thursday morning, which

cant leave no doubt that an attempt to escape was contemplated by the pri- soners under sentence of death, and who were reprieved the other day by the King, at a Privy Council held at Brighton. The prisoners had been removed, as is usual in such cases, from the condemned cells to another part of the prison, there to await the order from the Secretary of State for their shipment. Several of them are well-known desperate characters, some of them returned transports. On Thursday, Mr. Cope, the new Governor, was induced to commence a search in that part of the prison where the reprieved convicts are confined; and on examining the beds of several of the prisoners, which resemble in appearance and material large door-mats, it was discovered that many of them had been pulled to pieces and plaited together, so as to form very strong ropes, sufficient to bear the weight of two or three persons at the same time. There was also found concealed in the bed-clothes a large quantity of the tow or hemp of which the beds are fabricated, in a state of prepa- ration for manufacturing into ropes. On this discovery being made, the Sheriffs were immediately sent for out of court; and an investiga- tion took place, which ended in several of the ringleaders being placed forthwith in solitary confinement, and a further search directed. It was then found, that several of the bed-rugs bad been eat up arid rudely formed into gloves, for the presumed purpose of saving the hands of the prisoners from injury while sealing the wall, and descending ontsith: by the ropes. Several knives were found concealed in the hemp or tow ; and the jackets and caps of some of the prisoners were discoverod turned inside out, and presenting an appearance of having been used by persons who had ascended the chimney, in order to work their way out-