The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-03-10

Quarts.
JEFFERSON CITY NJ, February y.
This city was to-day the seen of one Of the
most exciting events in the states history
Dire IN thc penitentary, ntt'nicd with
threatened outbreak OF conv CTS
ORIGIN oFTHG FIRE.
The fire was set by dcspcra 10 named John
Il. johnson, who was sent up fIr highway
robbery In October, lss2. irlm shelby COUNTY.
lie IL serving a twelve Nclr-' sentence. Ills
object, il nppea Wis to cfct III escape.
lie once before tried Co make his escape in
December last BY cutting the bars in the new
cell building. Anon his ace 1mplices are W.
r. TAYLOR, who was sent mp from Jackson
County for sixteen years also tor robbery,
and Perry Martin, who il ON a twelve years
sentence from Barry County. for stage rob.
berry also John Williams, hen e for two years,
for breaking Jail i'm Jackson County. litt'o
after twelve noon johnson with three of his
accomplices went into the drying depart
ment of the straw collar shop and
commenced an assault on Mathew
Schinberg. formerly of the collar department.
He made veiHI passes with big knife,
aiming mt SC biuberIs breast, when the latter
raised his arm to ward OF the thrust ana was
severely cut in two places on his ann, the
gashes going 10 the bone. The despcradoes
then knocked schnbcrE down, stood him up
uNuih hhh Nhihtu MN ONtI lltO u NbIiltl hiAA
CORl,LLED HIM THERE.
Having thus fixed schinberg they next mt.
tackled his partner, John snyder, made him
unstrip his clothes, which johnson put on,
and thus dressed in square" clothes he
walked out of the shop. seized n shol ladder
and going to the northeast angle of the peni-
Tertiary yard placed the ladder against the
wall T. j. Love, guard of the round
house, not suspecting n convict there in
Square clothes, inquired, what are you go
Ing to do with that ladder johnson an
swered that there was little trouble among
the prisoners in the yard above and he was
sent there to assist in guarding the point.
! The guard then threatened to shoot him If he
| did not get down from the ladder at once.
johnson then went back to the stufiing shop
! and with match set fire to the loose straw
used in stufiing collars. He also cut the hose,
and meeting again with Schinberg he threat
ened to kill him.
| HE ARMED HIMSELF
with club in one hand and a knife and shoe
hammer in the other, and then ran into Sulli-
vans saddle tree shop, drove in the guard
and attempted to rouse the convicts to re-
! volt, and, had he succeeded, amid the general
confusion caused by the fire, he would have
been successful in making his escspe. Fail
ing in this he went into the old dollhouse,
| where he was captured by Captain bradbury.
He dropped his weapons on seeing Bradbury.
! He was then conveyed with his accomplicts
| into the blind cell.
CAPTAIN BRADBURY's STATEMENT.
Capt. Bradbury the Deputy Warden, made
the following statement: 1.-The nre occurred
about 1890 O'Clock, just at the time when
nearly all the contractors and foremen had
gone to dinner. Word was sent me that there
was trouble and mu iny among the convicts
| I'm collar dpnortmpnt immG1i-
ateiy notified Warden Willis and then
went into the yard, revolver in hand,
and captured all the convicts then
running loose and sent them to their
cells. was not aware until after this that
fire had been set, but as soon As this fact
was ascertained Turned out all the convicts
who could be trusted to help save the prop
erty 1 was informed that johnson had
started the fire, and in company with "A nun
Der of COME lerates were doing al in their
power to keep 1t from being eNtnguished. In
company with Mr.. Tolin, captured johnson
and Taylor, who were armed with knives,
aud had been cutting tile hose whenever an
opportunity afforded. Johnson failed to
cape by climbing over the wall. He then
hurried back to the co liar shop and
.." SET IT ON FIRE. ...t
The shop was full OF straw and other com
bustble matter and consequently burned
!
victs were in the mutiny and the number in
creased until they we're checked. johnson
was the ring leader, and with his confeder-
ates they overpo Yered the guard, Van Horn,
whom johnson compelled to change clothes
with him, thinking, no doubt that he could
pass the outside guard without detection if
dressed in citizens clothes"
Captain Bradbury further stated that John.
son was Il desperate character and would fire.
quently make serious trouble in the prison.
Recently he made an uusu ;cessful attelupt to
escape. Captain Bradbury estimates the mum
Der of prisoners that will be idle as a conse'
quence of the fire at 600.
'...- THE BUILDINGS BURNED
were ms follows, No. 2 shop, occupied by
Strauss n Co. as a collar aud harness factory.
No, shop, first and second floors occupied
' by Strauss g. Co. ms n tannery aud whip shop
and third floor occupied by the Excelsior
Broom Company. The east end of this build
ing also contains the State Carpenter and
weaving shops, while the basement is used a;
p amachiRe shops Shop No.4, OGenpiedo ON the
! first floor by the Standard Shoe Company
and on the second and third floors by the
y Gle, ecze Boot and Shoe Company.
THESE buildings have all been erected with,
In the last ten years,
THE STATES Toss
: on this property is total aud will foot mp tC
C Ss0,97l according to the inventory by the ap
prajser and reported by the inspectors to thu
2 Assembly on January 10 last. OF this amour
shops ?, 3 and represent respectively $4,000
$4,000 and Sls 000. The achincry, boilers
, and Skating stand for sl5,25O, while the bal
ance covers the oil house, hose house, waite
Y tanks, corn mills, machine shops, wooler
n factory, carpenter shops and furniture be
a longing TO the State in the shops. ...#