Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-04-26
Insnrrection in the Penitentiary.

Convscts turned keepers The RngLeader
Rounded- Great Excitement al Hounds
viVe.
Observation-Disclosures of MoundsvilIe were greatly
excited on Tuesday evening about 6 o'clock
over the report that the Peniteutiary had
mutinied, overcame and locked up their keep
ers and were having things their own way at
that institution An investigation into the
facts. showed that the reports wers, as usual,
exaggerated
From Colonel Curtis. Superintendent ofthe
Penitentiary, We have obtained the following
particulars.
Some forty or fifty Of the coDvicts had ems
tered into conspiracy to rise, overpower the
guards and make their escape. So on Tnes3
day evening as they were being marched from
their supper to their cells, on entering the
hall they turned upon the two guards, over
powered them and took from them the key
They then stripped the guards of their cloth
ing, and put them into the cells. Twoof them
put on the clothing Of the captured guards
and gave the signal for the first relief
When they came, they. too, were taken pris-
oners and their clothing captured. They
then selected those Of their comrades as would
not join with them in the instruction, and
locked them up.
At halfpast six o'clock, the hour for all to
be secure in their cells, the signal was given
for the guards to come out of their boxes
1t was the purpose of the conspirators, as soon
as the guards should come out, to leave the
hall, scale the stockade and so make their es-
cape.
The guard Who upon being relieved should
have reported at the gate, failing to appear,
suspicion was aroused in the minds of those
of the officials who were not in the secret
that all was not right. The Commissary
of the prison, on going into the office and
finding no one there, went te the hall, where
he. too, was made prisoner.
The alarm by this time had communicated
to the citizens of Moundsville, and quite a
crowd of them collected at the gate. These and
the day guards were organized and marched
to the hall, where the insurgents still were.
The convicts were ordered to cease their re-
sistance and return to their cells. On their
refusal to do So the guard was ordered to fire
upon them. But one of the insurgents was
hurt. lis name is Charles Moore, and he
was shot through the left thigh.
The most prominent of the leaders of this
WELL planed attempt to escape were Luther
Cremeans, sentenced for murder; John s.
Newman, jewlry burglar; Harrison Jack
son aHas John Burns, a horse thief; James
Carney, stahbing with intent to kill; Stephen
Hicks, a burglar; r. IT. Foster, burglar !;
P. G. Martin, a forger; Charles Moore, a rob-
Der; and several others who were ready to go
with the crowd in the event of success.
The wounded convict. Moore, is doing well,
all the others are secure and Moundsyille has
resumed its wanted quiet
The entire plan was known to Colonel
Curtis, and he made his arrangements accord
ingly. He expected that the intention of the
convicts to obtain possession of the gate and
burn the prison records would be made as
soon as they overcame their guards. and he
posted his force so as to shoot most of the ring
leaders as they made their rush, but the coz
viots had laid their plans we'll, and attempted
to delay the movement until after dark. This
compelled Colonel Curtis to make the attack
on them while they were in the hall instead
of waiting for them to get out into tho yard
Wheeling Register.