Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-04-12
The Fire 1t the Penilsniiary.

The Fire II the PeHitsntiary.
We avail ourselves Of the particu-
larsof thesorigia of the late fire at
the Penitentiary, furnished BY tie
True Whag:
TnE ORIGIN OF THE PENIrESfIARY
FIRE-A PLoF EIscoyERED- Con-
FEssIoN OF PRIsoNERs SIN the hast
few days circumstances have brought
10 light the origin OF the kte de-
structive fire which consumed a
greater portion Of the State Peniteh<
Itiary, and caused the death of one
of the prisoners by suffocation.
One Of the prisoners, who goes BY
the nameof Daa Bell,and who was
sent to the Penitentiary from this
county for a bold and daring street
robbery upon the Public Square, of
which Col. Price, Of Wilson, was The
victim. has been brought to a full
confession Of the plot. Since the
fire he has been confined. in a cell
with another prisoner, and to him he
divulgcd the secret. The plan for
firing the prison, which succeeded soe
well, we understand vas in substance
as follows, according to the slate
ments made y the fellow prisoner Of
BsH, and subsequently confirmed by
both itsauihors ant! exseutors Bel
and his confederate, York, Coach
maker sent from Rutherford county.
for committing various theffs, were
employed about the engine. From
time 10 Zine they had picked. up
pieces of spunk, or touehwood, from
the wood brought in for running the
engine, until they had accumulated
quite large ball. This ball was fred
and then enveloped in cotton. putin
a wooden box, and the box placed
upon side shelf over tie Cotton
Machine, surrounded with grease,
and the most combusiible matter.--
The incendiaries calculated that. II
the plot succeeded. the building
would be fired between midnight ani
daylight, and the sequel proves that
their calculations thus far were cor
rect. But the timely cutting away
Of the wood Gaping Of the wall by
one Of the prisoners, Greg, Who has
been since liberated. saved portion
of the building, and thus prevented
the success Of their scheme in the
main point which was their escape.
Bat their determination TO be free
1 had not falIered. 1t is diyulgcd
that up To- Tuesday night they. still
meditaied an attempt TO escape -
Their plans were to seize the guards
upon the most favorable ofportuui-
ty, put them to death, and escape
The confession Of Bells confident
thwarted this plot. Z -
Another attempt to-take the life
of one of the guards, Andy Hamil-
ton, made some time since, has also
recently come to .ight. As we are
informed, this same Bdl had man
aged to set an ingenious trap at the
well in the Penitentinry, into which
it it was expected Hamilton would
fall. 1t happened, however, that a
prisoner, named Darts, was the first
to approach the well. lie fell in,
and would have drowned had not
Mr.. Hamilton come to bis assistance
Until recently it had not been sus-s
pected how Daris got into the well.
Bell is young man, apparently not
more than twenty-tbree years of age;
but is old in iniquity. We presume
he will be taken out and tried for his.
life. esGs,l
Both Bell and York, we under-
stand, finding that they bad been be-
trayed, have made full confessions in
accordance with the foregoing state-y
ments. - ,as -