Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-08-16
A FATAL FIGHT WITH CONVICTs.
An Uprising In the st. Louis Work. hOuse--
Fractions Inmate Killed and Several
Wonnded.

An Uprising In the ST. Louis Work. house--
Fractious Inmate Killed and Several
Wounded.
A desperate fight at the work house
in st. Louis, between four of the guards
and a number of the prisoners, who had
evidently been organizing an attempted
escape, resulted in the death of one of
the prisoners and the serious wounding
OF four Others For some days past q
spirit of unrest had been observable
among some of the prisoners, but no
overt act occurred until the afternoon
of the trouble, when one of the guards,
named Merkel, saw paper communica
ton passed between two of them. This
the fatal encounter. The dead prisoner,
George Stevens by name, was an habit
ual vagrant, who for a year past had
gravitated between the police court and
the work-house. He was an epileptic,
and on this account claimed an immunity
from the severe labor OF stone-breaking,
at which the city's offenders are put
when sent down; but the work house
authorities believed that his sickness
was sham, and compelled him to take
his place on the rock-piles with the
other prisoners. Since this was done
Stevens had been noticed to be morose
and sullen, and few days before the
previous affray he committed murder
GUS assault upon George Merse, one OF
the guards, for which he was punished.
Of late he had been seen in mysterious
communication with other prisoners,
and as he was known to be a desperate
and powerful man, he was closely
watched by the guards. While he was
working in the gang superintended by
one of the guards named Christian
Kelbs, Stevens was seen by Guard Mer-
kel to pick up a piece of paper which
had been dropped at his feet by another
prisoner. Merkel Immediately ap-
preached him and asked him to sur
render the paper. Stevens clinched i
in his hand, and declared he would dl'
before he would give it up. The pris-
oner who had dropped the paper Offered
to get it back, but Stevens refused tx
surrender it under any consideration
After some parleying on the part OF th'
guards, who wished to obtain possession
of the suspicious communication peace
fully, they attempted to take it iron
Stevens by force, when he, thougl
heavily shackled, proved able to fgh
like lion. He seized large rocks an
began assaulting the guards, at the sam
time calling on his fellow prisoners t
7 aid him. Guard Coy drew a revolve
D and fred at Stevens, inficting sligh
wound, which Stevens responded to b
striking Coy on the head with a hug
rock, inficting a serious wound. Th
scene at this moment was one OF gref
n excitement and confusion. The prison
. ers were collected together from differ
p ent parts of the yard, and were evident
# ly ready to follow Stevens lead when
4 called on them. The guards did nj
a wait for the attack, but ran to a shant
i in which o number of loaded shotgun
n were kept. Arming themselves, the
o returned and found the prisoners. The
IS had apparently made up their minds
o resist boldly and their presence W
f greeted with a volley of rocks, one
/ which struck Capt McQuard on u
4 head, knocking him senseless. II
e guards fired upon the prisoners, al
al Stevens and four others fell, the form
d mortally wounded. Two of the 9th
Il prisoners, Henry Watson and Nor
le gomery Morgan, were badly wounde
re the others received flesh wounds onl
c. Stevens died seven minutes after belr
re shot, and the rest surrendered.