Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1865-09-14

IL
Illinois State PeniG0ntiary, at Joliet, to
carry out mutinous plot TO enable the
convicts to escape from that institution,
last week. The plot was originally con-
cocted between a man named Smith and
certain outsiders, friends of three convicts,
to secure whose release he was TO receive q
handsome sum of money. The first thing
in the programme was for Smith TO obtain
ernployment as guard in the Penlten-
tiary, in which he succeeded few weeks
apo. and had been acting as general
guard up to the time of The discovery OF
the plot. This man was TO arrange the
manner of escape for the eonviets, one OF
which YVES plan for them to scale the
wall while he was on it as guard This
was attempted week ago last Friday, the
three convicts whom he was especially in
terested in releasing having succeeded III
getting upon the wall; the unfalthtui
guard firing upon them four times, but
being careful not to hit them. Two OF the
convicts succeeded in eating over the
wall, but another guard, whs was not IN
the secret, fred upon them from another
portion of the wall, killing one of the con
victs, named Strong, sentenced from -.
Clair county; the others were pursued,
caught and taken back. These circum-
stances aroused the suspicious of Warden
Buckmaster and Deputy Warden Simonds,
that the guard Smith was playing false,
and plans were accordingly laid TO watch
and detect him. AS n pretended mark or
favor, he was promoted to the position OF
night guard in the dollhouse, where he
could have opportunity to communicate
freely with the prisoners. A convict, VINO
hnd no previous knowledge of the plot,
was employed to gain Smiths confidence,
and to hcl . "work up" the affair. Smith
bit al the bait eagerly and at once. An
other guard was concealed under the de-
tective convict's bedstead in the cell, where
he laid three successive nights overhearlng
everything that passed between Smith
and the convict. Smith, among other
things, told the convict that he was en-
gagged in maturing two plans by which to
raise general mutiny and stampede. Inc
first was to enable the prisoners TO get pos
session of the armory, after telling them
where the key was concealed; the officers
of the Penitentiary were then all 10 be
shot. and the prisoners liberated. The
other plan WAS to secure his restoration TO
his former position AZ guard on tho wall
where he always had eight or ten loaded
nuskets at his command. Leaving the
lower door approaching his tower on his
wall unfastened, the convicts were to rush
NJ, seize the muskets, gag and tie him
(he having the gag and rope all prepared
and then they were to protect the escape
of ali the other convicts by shooting the
remainder Of the guard and officers Of the
prison, In his private interview with th'
detectiye con vict, these he detailed as hii
own plans, and stated the amount o
money he was to receive for it. He alst
furnished the detective convict with q bot
tie Of aquafortis and saw IN the coll
with which he was to make his way on
and assist the others.
On the third night after overwhelming
these plans and confessions, and tho mode
of proceeding against him having beer
fully maturod by tho officers OF The Peni