Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-04

CLINTON PRISON CoNvIcTs STRIKE FOR IBEE-
TY-KEErEEs ENOCEED DOWN AND Dis
ARMED.
\ correspondent of the New York Sun
adds the following TO the particulars already
given of the attempt of Dannemora con-
victs to escape:
DAyNEuoRA. june ls.-A desperate at
tempt TO escape was made about o o'clOck
yesterday morning by the prisoners at
work in the forge connected with Clinton
Prison. The plan seems to have been well
matured. and failed only because of the
precautions which have lately been taken
to give the alarm almost instantly and
bring-to the scene of trouble all the officers
of the prison and inhabitants Of the village.
The men who work in the forge are gener-
ally long-term men. The leader was Chas
AlbertsOn, who was sent from Troy Tor bur
glary, and Is serving his second term. lie
Is desperado, and was wearing chains,
having recently broken prison. But for
the failure Of one of the prisoners to disa-
bic his guard at the proper time, doubtless
the forty prisoners in the forge would have
escaped. There are three guards and one
keeper. all armed with reyolvers, in the
forge, which Is in use night and day. At
night the iron gates are locked. the three
guards and keepers remaining inside, and
another guard Is stationed at one of the
gates. The plot seems to have been that
at a signal the prisoners should knock down
and di>arm these guards and the keeper,
and then knock a hole through the roof and
jump of into the street and make for the
woods, only few rods distant. This could
easily have been done, as the forge is close
to the pickets.
THE ATTACK.
Albertson gave the signal by seizing Mr..
Turner, the keeper, and John Mclaughlin,
convict from Brooklyn, who is suspected
of being the murderer of Panorma, struck
Turner on the head with bar of iron,
knocking him senseless. The keeper was
then disarmed Next Mr. Radnode, one of
the g1ard, was knocked down with the
same bar of iron. Robert Renforth, a New
York city convict, sprang upon Mr.. Eddy,
another guard, with stone hammer and
hit him on the top of the head, knocking
him senseless and disarming him. This
disposed of three of the guard, but for some
reason the convicts who had been expected
to take care of the other guard failed in
their part, and the guard ran to the iron
and gave the alarm to the officer on the OUT
side. Mclaughlin, Albertson and about
! twenty other convicts then seized long
/ ladder ana lnaue Tor the roof, taxing the
| sedge hammers and bars of iron to knock
off the heavy iron plates with which it is
covered. But before they could effect a
/ breach the officers outside blew the alarm
whistle and rang the prison bells. Hearing
! these notes of warning the convicts knew
that their game was up. They instantly
| dropped from the rafters and ladder, most
of them resuming their work and looking a.
1 innocent as lambs The whole transaction
occupied but very few minutes. The
guards were all seized and knocked down al
the same time, and had it not been for tn,
failure to secure the fourth guard the
] plot would have been successful.
None of the officers were fatally injured
on Tuesday morning, though one, MIR
Eddy, will probably be disabled for somt
time. The leaders, Albertson, Mclaughlin
Ryan and Reniorth, are confined in dark
cells, and are to be kept on low diet until
| they are considerably reduced.