The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-09-01
Attempted Mutiny in the Illinois Peniten-
tiary.

There was q bold attempt made at the Hi
mons state penitentlary, at Joliet TO carry
out muunous plot 10 enable the convicts to
escape from that institution last week The
plot was originally concocted between a man
named Smith and certain outsiders, friends
ol three cOnvlcts, to secure whose release he
was TO receive N handsome sum of noney-
Tue first thing In the programme was for
Saith 10 obtain employment as n guard in
the penItentiary, In which he succeeded a
few weeks ago, and had been acting a. a gen
eral guard up 10 the time of the discovery of
the plot. This man was to arrange the man.
ner of escape tor tue couvicis. one of which
WAS Il plan for them to scale the wall while
be was on ii MS guard. This was attem pted
week ago last Friday, the three convicts
whom he was especially interested In releas
ing having succeeded in getting upon the
wall, and the untaithful guard firing upop
them four times, but being careful not 10 hit
them. Two of the cOnviots succeeded in get
ting over the wall, but another guard. who
was not in the secret, fired upon them from
another portion of the wall, killing one of the
convicts, named Strong, sentenced from st.
Clair county; the other was pursued. caught
and taken back. These circumstances nrous-
ed the suspicious of Warden Buckmaster and
Deputy Warden SImonds, that the guard
Smith was play ing false, and plans were nc
cordingiy laId TO watch aud detect him. As
pretended mark OF favor, he was promoted
to the position of night guard in the cell
house, where he could have opportunity to
communicate freely with the prisoners.
convict, VINO had no previous knowledge of
the plot, was employed to gain Smiths conf
denee, and to help work up" the affair
Smith bit at tue bait eagerly aud at once
Another guard was concealed under the de.
4
he laid three successive nights overhearinp
everything that passed between Smith and
the cOnyict. Smith, among many other
things, told the convict that he wac engaged
Ill maturing two plans by which to raise u
general mutiny and stampede The first was
to enable the prisoners to get possession of
the armory, after telling them where the kew
was concealed the officers of the penitenti
airy were then all to be shot, and the prison
ers liberated. The other plan was to secure
his restoration to his former position as guard
on the wall where he always had eight or
ten loaded muskets at his command Leay-
ing the lower door approaching his tower on
the wall unfastened. the convicts were TO |
rush up, seize the muskets, gag and tie him |
he having the gag and rope all prepared, J |
and then they were to protect the escape OF |
all the other coDvicts by shooting the re-
mainder OF the guard aud officers of the pris
On. In his private interviews with the de
tective convict these he detailed rs his own
plans, and stated the amount of money be
was to receive for it He also furnished the
detective convict with bottle of aquafortis
and saw in the cell with which he was to
make his way cut and assist the others.
On the third night after overhearing these
plans and confessions, and the mode of pro-
,eeding against him having been fully ma
ured by the officers of the penitentiary, the
concealed guard gave preconcerted signal
rom his hiding place under the detective
onvict's bed, whereupon Deputy Warden
,imonds entered the cell house, and, 10 sight