Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-05-24
Shooting OF a Convict at the Maryland
ponitentiary.


Shooting of Convict at the Maryland
Penitentiary.
Monday afternoon William Lynch, q convict In
the Maryland penitentiary, was mortally shot by
officer of tho prison. in selfdefense. II appears
Irnm tho statements ot those who were present
that for ycnr past Lynch has been refractory.
and great trouble has been had with him. lie
has frequently refused to.work, and on that day
morning he again refused to leave his dormitory.
Tho fact was made known TO the warden, Mr.. A.
d. EvaIs, who ut once went to tho dormitory, and
told him that he would have TO be punished accor
ding 10 tho rules Of the prison II ho persisted in
his refusal to obey orders to which he replied
that he would submit to DO killed before he would
GO To work. Knowing tho desperate character Of
the mnn. tho warden. who. Tor some time past
had onnd 1t necessary to make him carry chain
aud ball, called officers Sparks and Saunders, for
tho purpose of seixing him and innioing upon
him the punishment which his offence demanded.
The convict was res lutte. and tho warden deter.
mined ~ await the arrival OF some of the direc.
tors Of the prison. and consult with them be-
fore proceeding further. lilo, accordingly locked
Lynch in his room and awaited until the after
noon, or the purpose Of consulting with the d-
rectors
At three o'clock Mr.. Evans again visited him,
opened the door of his room, aud ordered him
10 90 10 work. Lynch refused. and said he would
die before ho would work, but would take caro
thut some of them should die with him. Mr.
Evans called officers Sparks. Reynolds and Fra
zier. for tho purpose OF having the convict seized,
when the latter rnced himself in an offensive at.
tude and dared them to approach. Upon tho
order Of the wardon MIR. Reynolds entered tho
room. when Lynch raised tho ball. weighing some
thirty pounds. and made at him Reynolds raised
his pistol and fired, he states, for the purpose
of intimidnling him, and not with nm intention
to ininrc him. but tho shot did not strike him, aud
il had 10 other effect that to momenarlly check
4 III. al Al. Il.
did not take effect ON his person, Lynch again
raised hs ball and started toward tho officer TO
new the attack.
AT that time both Sparks and Reynolds fred
twice, aud ball from one OF tho pistols penetra-
ted the left side of the abdomen OF Lynch, noar
tho waist, aud passing obliqucy downward lodged
in the region of tho right groin. lilo imme-
diatcly sank ainting On his bed. having re-
coived "a mortal wouad. AT late hour last night
he was suffering intense agony with every proba-
blity that he would die within tho next twenty
four hours. Dr. Hank the physician OF the pris.
on. was present Mt the time and did everything
possible for his relief, but without the slightest
probability of success.
Lynch Is one of the most desperate and harden
ed cohyicts in the prison. At tho aye of fourteen
years then confined in tho Philadelphia House Of
Refuge. he set fire to tho building, for which ho
was tried, cunyictedand served term OF fourteen
years in the Cherry Hill prison. After he left
was arrested Tor thet. convicted, and served
n term Of four years in the Sing Sing State prison
Discharged from that ia lS46, tho next TINT was
heard Of him was his arrest md Incarceration in
New Orleans on tho charge of piracy. in due
time he was convicted nnd sentenced to be hung
Through some influence hs sentence was commu-
tel for imprisonment FOR lie.
After n service Of four yoars in tho Louisiana
Sll'c prison he was pardoned, and came to this
citv. Ilc took ur his residence on Felps Point,
aaI culaged in the business OF Nh cmigrant pas
sengcr runner. Shortly after he came to this
city hc married but becoming jealous of his wife
he threatened to kill her On tho 18th of Janua-
~, ls57 he got into iit of jealousy, aud after
carcs-ing ha wife for some time stabbed her sew
eral times in tho breast. lie was arrested, and
on lhe following day sent to Jail On the 9th day
Of the Fcbuary following he was convicted of as
sault with in,ent to kill his wife. Rebecoa Lynch,
and sentenced to the Maryland penitentiary for a
term Of years and months.
For time after entering the prison no behaved
himself tulcrably we'll bat abont year ago feign-
ed insanity and refused to work, lie was then
taken up aud punished, after which he told the
warden that he would kill him. rs no feared ne-
tber God, man nor devil. He subsequently drew
II knife and threatened the life ot the warden, and
the OCCASION when his wife called to sec him,
while standing at the gate, in the presence Of an
officer tried to induce her to shake hands with him
She declined, when he presented knife and told
her had she given him her hand he would have
murdered hcr His whole condust for a year past
has been refractory, and yesterday it became nec-
essary Tor the officers to shoot him. He 10 now
about thirty-sight years Of age, and the greater
part Of his lilo has been spent In prson.-Ba4i-
more Sun Tuesday.