In August 1876, twelve prisoners broke out of their gaol cells in the Upper Tugela Division of Natal. They seized several knobkerries, engaged in a scuffle with local constables, and fled from the district. Though such escapes were typical in the rural sections of the colony, this particular incident involved a dramatic fracas between prisoners and African police, with the latter reportedly needing to ‘fight for their lives’ in the melee. In total, nine prisoners escaped the gaol, a major embarrassment for the police in the division. Yet, when the colonial government put forward an inquiry into the escape, it equally distributed blame amongst the white and Black constables guarding the gaol, in stark contrast to similar incidents during this period. The resident magistrate even stipulated in his official report that he doubted the escape was due to ‘any lack of vigilance on the part of either the white constable or the native police.’