The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-25

Essht Csnviess N1rtlny, Seize the Guard
aad Burn the Shops-Hcw the
Mutiny was Cuicted.

The conVlcts IN tue Statc tNnneh's";,,
Jefferson City, have long complained OF the
treatment they have been subjected 70. ana
che revolt among them which occurred at
roon TODAY was not unexpected. The
eonyicts had lust marched back from oin-
uer to the different shops. and were seek
ing their various benches, when, In recog.
milton OF some preconcerted signal. e'ght
men. EMPLOYED In the harness-shop OF Ja-
cob Strauss & Co.. OF this city, led by John
n johnson. A safe-blower, who seiSea q
formidable leather-cutting knife, suddenly
revolfed. -Four OF them took hold OF the
Foreman of the harness-shop, and stripped
him Of his clothing. The other four ran
10 the floor below and seized Van Horn.
the foreman OF the collar department, and,
with
KNIVES AT HIS THROAT,
ordered him not to resist. Then johnson
ran hack into the collar-stutfing depart
meut and fired lot OF loose straw. Having
done this and waited until he was satisfied
that the flames had taken hold, the despe-
rate man rushed out Of the building and
ran TO the saddle-trec factory OF John Sui
Ivan, with the intention OF melting re-
volt there. At the main entrance to the
shop he met Patrick Krump, one OF the
guards, who, seeing him with knife ana
club i'm his hand, warned him oil. AL
that moment the flames burst from the
windows OF the Strauss factory and Krump
saw what was up. lie was not armed. rs
the weapons OF inside guards would be
taken away from them ten times to where
they could use them once. krump, how
ever, yelled to johnson,
"oyg STEP MORE AND you ARE A DEAD MAN."
The desperate turned and ran toward
the northeast corner OF the grounds, H.
tending TO scale the walls. On his way he
ran against Jesse ToliD, the dresser-in"
of the prison, who had sought the court
ward at the first alarm. Johnson paused
and stood defiant with his knife and blud-
geon, threatening to brain Tolin If the lat
Ter got near enough. Tolin is small man,
while the convict is giant in build and
strength, but the plucky guard, looking his
man squarely in the eye, walked up to HIM,
and placing the muZZle OF a cooked re-
yolyer against his ear ordered him to walk
to the "blind CELL" The convict lost his
grip and obeyed.
In the mean while the flames were max
ing rapid Roadway through the harness
shop. So quickly did the fire burn that
those In the upper stories were compelled to
leave the building by the windows. Fifty
escaped in this way and four were badly
scorched In getting out. The alarm OF fire
was, of course, spread rapidly. AT the
first signal the deputy wardens manned the
prison hose. The first effort to carry il
into the burning building was met with a
desperate resistance. With their knives
the excited conyicts cut the hose in dozen
places. thus giving the fire q chance TO take |
a good hold. But the victory OF the con- |
yicts was only temporary one.
THE GUARDS RALLIED IN FORCE,
and showed their revolvers and Winchester |
rifles. Captain Bradbury, the prison |
warden, came up at this iuncture and |
Joined the men. Prompt efforts were made |
to capture and confine in the ''blind cells"
Johnson's companions. One OF them was |
Jerome l.. johnson, doing twenty-five !
years for murder In the second degree in !
Clay county, and another was Perry Mar !
tin, one of the stage-r0bbers who last sum- |
mer terrorized Southwest Missouri, and |
held up several stages between Seligman |
and the Eureka Springs, Ark. Williams, |
OF Kansas City, who inaugurated revolt |
in the Kansas City Jail last spring, was an
other OF the party, and they were all des-
perate men.
While the guards were attending to the
discipline Of the prison the alarm was
blown, the great bell changed out the warm
ing that mutiny was in the prison, and the
telephone informed the people OF the town
of the state OF affairs. Great volumes OF
smoke and flames shot heavenward, attract
ing their attention, and there was general
movement to the penitentiary. Adiutant-
General Waddell ordered the armory emp
tied of its guns, which. with boxes OF ear
tridges, were loaded in wagons and for
warded to the scene in short order. Will
ing hands were there to receive them. In
less than ten minutes lines were formed
surrounding the prison-walls, and dignifed
senators, good-natured colored men, capt.
talists, bankers, merchants, and wood-saw-
yers stood shoulder to shoulder prepared
TO vindicate the majesty of the law by
shooting down any convict who dared at
tempt to take advantage OF the excitement
and make break for liberty. The
WALLS WERE COVERED BY ARMED MEN.
and from the roof of the prison-buiIding
guns frowned in the most warlike and
threatening manner. Fortunately the mot
ley militia were confined to display only.
Once there was little speck OF mutiny,
when the convicts who had'been employed
in the Geisecke and Meysenburg shoe facto-
ries were being marched from the burning
building to the old cell-building, near the
south wail, and two OF three conyicts NUT
tered that they did not want to be placed
under lock and key to be burned alive.
Deputy-Wardcn Bradbury and Walter
Young, Of st. Joseph, were ut the entrance
TO the building, heavily armed, and their
GOODNESS convinced the convicts that ODE
dience to orders just at that moment would
be the only reasonable conduct for them to
pursue. The long line filed in, the great
iron doors swung to with clang, tie bolts
clicked, and that danger was passed.
From Stfauss d Co.'s factory the flames
communicated rapidly TO the State ma
chine-shop and the factory where the cloth
worn by the conyicts is made. Then the
broom-factory caught fire, and next the
building occupied Jointly by the Geiseck
Shoe Manufacturing Company and the
Meysenburg Shoe Company was taken in.
This building adioins one OF the main cell
houses, and abe latter was threatened for
an hour. A single wall stood between the
burning building and the hospital. The
,guard-house overlooking the hospital court
was burned completely. The loss TO the State
on three buildings consumed and three more
including machinery In factories,
amounts to fully $500, 900, on which there
Is no insurance. The private losses are as
follows: Standard Shoe Company and
Meysenburg Il Co., $780, 900, fully covered
oy insurance. Aeiseck & Co, shoeshop,
SSO,oeo, also fully covered; Strauss& Co.,
harness and coilar>shops, sS5. O0o--jnsur.
ance, $4,000; Exceisn. Factory. S5O.a00.
half insured. The new cell building i
9amaged about the sane as at last \ ears {
hre, when the loss was $4,000. The hos s
pitai building is damaged slightly.
Alter tpe fire was under control ana Tho ,
new cen building was safe the convictsI
were takcp back to fbeir.ee Jobrso,, q