The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-03-19
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alarming attempts Were made upon two oe-
easions yeSierdsy, and bt two different con,
tiets, TO take the lie ol Colonel Lewis. che
Agent and Warden ofthe Auburn Prison,
and that . strong disposition wss manifested
BY some dozen or fifteen eonvicis to revolt.
The difficulty occurred In the hsme. shop
i The facts in the case, as we have them from
en- entirely reliable authority. are ss follows;
"Colonel Lewis, in his rounds yesterday,
discovered two convicts in the hame. shop
in close conversation. After wstebing then
for few moments, he stepped up TO the
keepers desk, and, calling TO one Of the
eoHVicts, ordered himto come to the desk
The convict obeyed the order. Colonel
Lewis then asked him Whst he was taking
sbout. The convict told him he was talE
ing about horse. The Agent then ordered
the convict to be capped for vioIstinR the
disciPline. At this moment another con TicI
len his work and dwslked mp TO the desk. un.
der the pretence Of having some business
with the Agent. The Agent asked what be
wanted. when he replied that be wished to
zee him in regard to some pension money
that was due him (the convicil from the
government The Agent, suspectinR thai
the convict intended an assault, told him he
would talk with him at another time about
! the matter, at the same time ordering him
back 10 work. The convict did not start
and second order was given. At this In.
slant the convict drew from under his sleeve
large long bladed jack knife, and rushing
upon the Agent, made several Ihrusts sl
him. The shop. keeper Immediately caught
| eho ~ md
plisbing bis object, - =.
At this juncture Of affairs several OF the
other coRvicts n the shop rushed to the desk
sone of them with the design Of assisting
the officers, while others shouted out "KH
him! kill him!" meaning the Agent. The
difficulty was at length queled, and the con.
Yicts went back 10 their work.
Shortly after these occurrences Colonel
Lewis saw Mr.. Foshny, the principal keep.
er OF the Prison, and desired him to take
the convict who had drawn the knife, from
the shop to the wing for punishment. Mr.
F. proceeded to the hame shop and called
the convict up to him. for ,the purpose Of
taking him TO The wi ,g. The convict here
10 anne very beisteruus, threatening in loud
terms that lie would kill Colonel Lewis at
the fret opportunity. He finally started
with Mr.. Foshay Tor the wing, when some
dozen other convicts left their work and pro.
ceeded to follow, calling, in the mean time,
for the convict to come back. After going
short distance, the convicts, with the ex.
ception of the one who was to be punished
returned back to their shop. 4.
The refractory convict then requested tha,
he might be allowed to see the Agent previ.
GUS to being punished. Colonel Lewis came
in, when the convict informed him that II he
was punished there would be serious diff
cHlty-that the cpnvicis would protect him
a. oil hszards--that he had sent them back
to the shop, but that they stood ready TO
come to his rescue al momeRt's warning.
Whether the convict was punished after
this conversation, we are not informed At
all events, he was not allowed 10 60 back to
the shop, but was locked in his cell.
In the afternoon Of yesterday, Colonel
Lewis determined to pEss through the hume
shop again. While dong so, and while his
back was turned, another convict drew a
heavy hammer upon him, and had his arm
not been instantly caught by keeper,
he would have sunk the weapon into the
Agents brain.
In the same shop, on Thursday last, a
s'one wss hurled u, The heud OF Dir. Shuln.
waf. the foreman Of the shop, which, fortu.
nately striking him upon the neck and shoul
der. did no other injury thin TO quite serious,
ly lame him.
We have never attempted to defend the
general discipline Of the Auburn Prison -
We have knewn, for months past, that it
was not wha. the interests of the State re.
quired that 1t should be, or what the officers
and contractors need for the protection OF
their lives.
As much as we regret to say it, We are
compelled to state that. in or opn ion, the
Inspectors of the Prisons ire in a great
measure responsible FIR the evils complsin.
ed Of. They persist in keeping two TIE at
the head Of the ins tuition (Agent and pin.
cipal Keeper who are hardly ON speaking
terms with euch other, and between whom
there is no concert .. action. The know
edge o. this tactis in possession Of the con-
vIcts, and thev, naturally enough, take ad-
vantage Of It. The Inspectors owe it to
themselves. to the officers aud contractors
IN the Prison, aud t. the State to take
prompt action in the matter. II they can.
not determine which OF the two men TO re.
move, let them remove both and appoint
two officers to their places who will consult
AMI who are not personal enc.
mics to each other. Unlrss this is done,
we predict that at no distant day, far more
serious trouble will be experienced than
has yet occurred.
Messrs. HAYDEN & LetchWorth, contrac-
tors in the hame.shop have turned twenty.
seven of the convcts in their employ back
upon the State, refusing to accept OF their
services because they are regarded as dan.
serous men. They remain locked in their
(N. W Daily Advertiser.