Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-09-05
A PENTTENTIARY RIOT.
White, from Memphis, and BIZ Smith,
from Nashville, COnooet a Plan
TO Release Fifty COnvicts.
Frank Smith, from Memphis, Reveals
and Frustrates il sad so Secures
his Pardon frem Governor
Brown.


from the nashville hanner-I
Brief mention was made in the Ban
ge,. Of yesterday, Of a bold plot c0ncoeted
bv Bill Smith and sam White 10 effect
the escape OF fifty cOnvicts from the pen
iteutiary. 1t has since been aseertained
that they were in no wise encouraged in
the bold movement either by watch
man or a guard at the penitenuary. II
had its Origin in the brains OF the no
r0rious Bill smith and Sam White. II
vas disclosed to the officers Of the prison
bv a convict named Frank smith, on 8
promise OF executive pardon, on his re-
vealing the secret.
Earlv Monday morning Frank Smith
addressed a note 10 the Ofiicers, in which
he stated that there was eOncocteC
s-ebeune on the part Of the eOnvicts
Whereby fifty were to effeci
their escape. and that be would
rD.Ier no Circumstances reveal the Sc
crat unsess he cUUld be assured Of s
,qr6,,n. They might punish him a.
I,ucb sud severely a. they chose, but
M. Vas the only condition Of its divulg-
ence by rim. he further promised
roat II What be would tell was not found
m ba- -str;ctly l-II,s, be would yield up the
pari5n and undergo any punishment
they might see fit 70 Lnfilct Tor having
misled them. Aftes some consultation,
aud after vainly ent. .eavoring TO locate
the leaders Of the plot n the MINDS o.
the officers, the matter was presented c
N-overnor Brown. As Frack smith
lad already served three years ouI o.
four. the term 70 which he had beeG sen
.tenced, il was sgreed that he should *
hardened. The pardon was taken tOSmith
and read TO him. Not being entirely
satisfied. he asked that be might read
il for himself and sitter having peruseo
IL. lie said that Bill Smith and sam
White mad cone0cted the plot, and had
intended TO carry it into execution Wlth-
in tureutv-four hours; that lame con-
vict had almost sawed in two the bars
COM scted with one Of the windows on
the western side of the prison, and that
rbev Intended to make their egress
through il. Should they fail in this
they were 70 kill the guard in the hos
,,itsI and escape through J.. The ward
n which Bill Sluith and White were
Io.,1ted contained 6fty convicts, all Of
Who n were TO follow them at given
Tbe officers found, upon investigation,
sv-ryth ing as Frank smith hau told
rhsn1. an d thus the plans Of the conyiets
were thw, lrted. The lame prisoner had
made appll cation to be placed IN the
wsrd. in VIII sch he attempted 70 do the
mischief. on q count Uf hIs loot, wnlcn
had been very eriousiy burned anu Dill
smith did not sciuple 10 take advantage
Uf the idea Of pos. .1ole escspe through
him. The lame convict was 70 saw the
bars in two. and while az
y-ork sentries were TO be 50
nIsced as TO defy detection by the Of
iiears. Warden Brown came N upon
fbsm from sn unexpected quSrter, ten
dsvg previous, when, seeing 3 squSd
bnt5lsd together. be demanded 70 know
-.-bst they were about. The lame con-
s., 1T RESPONDED that he had only
bazD washing his hands, and was
fbau wiuing them with the towel.
IN mas now been astertained that
he accomplished a trick OF legerde-
main. which even the experienced eye
of he warden had failed to detect. On
the approach Of the warden he placed
is saws. which had been made out OF
=, .rving knives, and 50 held them under
m towel as to lead to no suspicion that
he had been doing anything wrong
me Circumstances had hardly been men-
Tiops d before the whole scene was
Iroug ht I'd vividly to the mind Of the
,,-srie,1, who had not bsen fully satisfied
lat an had been right. Several OF the
bars of the window already indicated
we're foun d to have been severed. BIZ
smith has even gone 50 far as 70 sug-
,,sst 10 the ether convicts the propTiety
n ,s1rreptitiodsly obtaining pistols, and
"a .lsinF them should it become neces-
,ary 10 insure their escape.
On receiving his pardon yesterday
morning from the hands Of the officers
~ rbe prison, Frank Smith thanked
tbem al for it, and moreover, cOngratu-
istad himself at having been able to DO
them sonee service, and the same time
70 have thus accomplished his own re-
Frank smith is from Memphis, and is
said TO be q man Of Intelligence:
Rfl Smith Is tbe man who shot ON
,ar Starkev. and dii many other notably
bad deeds, for which be was sentence q
D the Davidson eountS esltnlnaI conr'
To- twenuy-one years. sNSt5e, we De
lie,ye, Is from Memphis. Both con
fsss. a their guilt, and received the pun
ishn ent usual in surh cases.
During the sixteen months in R'oien
Warie Brown has served, no priso,ter
has been allowed 10 escape from the
prison. though many desperate attempts
ave been made. Bill smith, who will
doubtless serve the remainder Of his life
ia the penitentiary, was willing 70 take
any risk, though it might end IN his
death. rather than be compelled TO live
out his days in 3 prison cell The follow
ing note explains itself:
NASHVILLE, September ?, 1873.
.T, , the Editor OF The Banner:
q your local department this morn
inc we find an item which, without
sy6l anation, Is calculated TO seriously
iDi1r, some Of the guards and watch
nan When the proposed escape Of Bill
E,,ith and accomplices was frst dis
,,oTsrsd il was thought that some OF the
5r,i ,.rs u ere assisting them, but upon
f1rtber in vestigati0R this opinion was
f1nDd to b, erroneous. The investiga-
ri0n has been closed, and the facts
elected fully exonerate the guards and
watebmen nom All completely in the
\ ,stter. We max e this statement in JUS
1i,,e 10 those u,,on whom, without it, .
very serious injury Laight fall Respect
fully, - v,soU,S Warden
j. J.. WINS Aset " aioeh-