Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-09-06
From the Chicago Journal August 80.
Attempted Mutny in the Illinois Pentential

W
There was bold attempt made at the
Illinois State Penitentiary, ut Joliet, to
carry out muttnous plot to enable the
convicts to escape from that Institution,
last week The plot was originally con-
cOctcd between 4 man named Smith and
certain outsiders, friends of three convicts.
to secure whose release he was to receive
handsome sum Of money. The first
thing in the programme was for Smith to
obtain employment as a guard in the
Pcnitcntiarv, in which he succeeded a few
weeks ago, and had been acting as gen.
eral gu ri up to the time Of the discovery
of the plot This man was to arrange the
manner Of escape for the convicts, enc of
which was n plan for them to scale the
wall while he was on it as guard This
was attempted a week ago last Friday. tn =
three cOnvicts whom he was especially
interested in releasing having succeeded
in getting upon the wall and the unfaith-
ful guard firing upon item four times. hut
being careful not to hit them Two OF the
convictS succeeded in getting over the wall
but another guard, who was not in the
secret. fred upon them from another po--
ton Of the wall. killing one of the con-
vlcts, named Strong, sentenced from st
Clair county; the other was pursued
eau@' I and taken back These circum>
stance saroused the suspicious Of Warden
Buc,imaster and Deputy Warden Simonds.
that the guard Smith was PLAYING false,
and plans were accordingly laid To watch
and detect him. \ pretended mark of
favor, he was promoted to the position OF
night guard in the dollhouse. where be
could have opportunity to communicate
freely with the prisoners 4 convict.
who had no previous knowledge of the
plot, was employed to gain Smiths con-
hdence, and to help work up the affair.
smith bit Mt the bait eagerly and at once
Another guard was concealed under the
detective convict's bedstead in the cell
where he laid three successive nights
Overhear everything that passed be-
tween Smith and the convict. Smith.
among many other things, told the convict
that he was engaged in maturing two
plans by which to raise general mutinv
and stampede The first was to enable
the prisoners to get possession of the
armory, alter telling them where the kew
was concealed; the officers of the Penis
tertiary were then all 10 be shot and the
prisoners liberated. The other plan was
10 secure his restoration to his former
position as guard on the wall where he
always had eight or ten loaded muskets Mt
his command. Leaving the lower door
approaching his tower on the wall unfast
ened, the convlcts were to rush up seize
the muskets, gag and tie him (he having
the gag and rope ali prepared. j and then
they were To protect the escane of all the
other convicts by shooting the remainder
of the guard and officers of the prison -
In his private inter, Jews with the detec-
tie convict, these he detailed as his own
plans, and stated the amount of money he
was to receive for it He also furnished
the detective convict with a bottle of aqua
iortIS and a saw in the cell. with which
he was to make his way out and assist the
others.
On the third night after overhearing
these plans and confessions. and the mode
OF proceeding against him having been
fully matured by the officers of the Peni-
tertiary, the concealed guard gave n pre-
concerted signal from his hiding place I'M
der the detective con let 5 bed. whereunon
bePuty Warden Slmonas entered the cell. +
mouse, and, IN sight of Smith. unlocked
the cell and brought out the concealed
-"''' u instantly approaching the cir
cumstanccs of his detection Sr;.b f,,
down in a spasm of terror and cors+a.,,,,
ton. He was taken to the solitary -.
where, after the recovery of his bewiI5e-1
ed senses, he immediately made a cIaa,
breast Of the whole matter to the Deru+v +
" arden. coniessing everything as above /
with several additional particu- i
lars, indicating that the fellow had plan +
ned and was about executing a plot shat .
would, II he bad not been thus fortunately /
detected have led 10 oGe of the most fear /