Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-24
BREAKING PRISON.
An Attempt of Prisoners to Escape from
Folsom State Prison-one Man Killed.


An attempt to break from the Folsom State
/ Prison and escape was made by some OF the
prisoners at that institution on Monday even
/ ing, which resulted in several shots being
| fred by the guards. and one prisoner, T.
! Gibson, alias Scotty, killed. Coroner Yer
milva was notified of the death, and pro-
ceeded to Folsom yesterday morning and
held an inquest, at which the facts concern
/ ing the affair were given as follows B.
! Chambers Captain of the Guard and Yard,
testified that on Monday he was informed by
number Of persons that there was going to
/ be break of the prisoners at about flag time.
which is 4 O'Clock in the afternoon. he as
certained that the prisoners were all within
the prison, and then concluded that II there
was any troubleit would befrom an attemptto
break through He therefore remained in
side of the prison and kept vigilant watch.
About the time the prisoners were going
down to supper, about 8 o'clock, he heard
noise in the loft over the cells and immedi-
ately sent "trusty named Henderson up
to ascertain the cause. Upon reaching the
top OF the ladder, he called back that some OF
the prisoners were trying to break through
the roof Captain Chambers then ran through
the gates and notified the guards, and told
them to watch the roof He then ran into
the arnory and obtained revolvers Tor him
self and three others. and they went together
80 o point where they could have plain view
of the portion of the roof where the prison
ers were attempting to break out. While
thew were doing so, the guards began to fire
from their posts, north and east of the building.
Chambers and his men in passing around the
building, came upon a prisoner by the name
of Ed. Lupton, who had escaped, and seeing
he was surrounded by them, he threw up his
hands and surrendered. Captain Chambers
and others then went up into the loft where
the prisoners had broken through, and there
found Gibson, lying dead, with bullet-hole
in his right cheek.
E. w. Sawtelle, one of the guard, testified
that when the break was attempted he first
heard noise in the direction of the
roof of the prison, and which was
about 40 yards from his post. He
next saw the Stats fly off from the
east side of the skylight on the east end
of the roof, and man go out through, but
he.did not fire, as he was not satisfied what
it meant. Immediately afterwards another
man started to go out at the same place, and
shots were fred and he disappeared within.
This is the one who was found dead inside.
It is not known who killed him, as FIVE or six
of the guards fred, in all, from two to four
shots each. This ended all effort on the part
of the prisoners to escape, and the above are
all the facts developed at the inquest The
deceased was found by the jury to be Peter
Gibson, native of Scotland, aged 81 years.
and that his death was caused by a gunshot
wound in the right side of the head, said shot
having been fired by one of the guards in the
discharge of his duty. He was under SEN
tence for term of ten years for having killed
a prisoner in San Quentin named Austin
N. Smith, while confined there.