The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-03-08

Escape Frustrated by Determined
Guards.
JEFFERSON CRY, Mo, February -.
This city was to-day the scene of one of the
most exciting events in the States history
fre in the penitentiary, attended with a
threatened outbreak of cOnviets.
oRIGIN OF rHE FIRE.
The irewas set by a desperate named John
| B. johnson, who was sent up for highway
robbery in October, 1882, from shelby County.
He is serving a twelve years sentence His
object, it appears was to effect his escape.
He once before tried to make his escape, in
December last, by cutting the bars in the new
cell building. Among his accomplices are W.
f. Taylor, who was sent up from Jackson
| County for sixteen Yeas, also tor robbery,
and Perry Martin, who is on twelve years
sentence from Barry County, for stage rob
berry; also John Williams, here for two years,
for breaking jail in Jackson County. little
after twelve noon johnson with three of his
accOmplices went into the drying depart
ment of the straw collar shop and
commenced an assault Mathew
Schinberg, formerly of the collar department..
He made several passes with big knife,
aiming at Sc.inbcrg's breast, when the latter
raised his arm to ward OF the thrust and was
severely cut in two places on his arm, the
gashes going to the bono. The despcradoes
then knocked Schinbcrg down, stood him up
again and walked him over into corner and
CoRRALLED HIM THERE.
Having thus fixed schinberg they next at.
tackled his partneI, John Snyder made him
unstrip his clothes, which johnson put on,
and thus dressed in square" clothes he
walked out of the shop, seized a short ladder
and going to the northeast angle of the peni-
tentiary yard placed the ladder against the
wall. T. J. Love, a guard of the round
house, not suspecting convict there in
square" clothes, inquired what arc you go
Ing to do with that ladder?' johnson an
Hcrcd that there was little trouble among
the prisoners in the yard above and he was
sent there to assist in luarling 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 stuning shop
and with match set fire to the loose straw
used in stuning collars. He also cut the hose,
and meeting again with Schinbcrg he threat
ened to kill him.
HE ARMED HIMSELF
with a club in one hand and a knife and shoe
hammer in the other, and then ran into Sullf-
vans saddle-tIee shop, drove in the guard
and attempted to rouse the convfcts t. 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 cell-hOusc,
where he was captured by Captain Bradbury.
He dropped his weapons on seeing Bradbury.
lie was then conveyed with his accompIices
into the blind cell.
CAPTAIN BRADBURY's STATEMENT.
Capt. Bradbury, the Deputy Warden, ma le
the following statement: "The fire occurred
about 12:30 O'Clock, just at the tima when
nearly all the contractors and foremen had
gone to dinner. Word was sent me that there
was trouble and muliny among the convic's
in the collar department. l immedt-
ately 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. L was not aware until after this that
a fire had been set, but "a soon this fact
was ascertained turned out all the convict5
who could be trusted to help save the prop
erty. 1 inform I'd that johnson had
started the fire, and in company with q mum
Der of confederates were doing al in their
power to keep it from being extingufshed. In
company with Mr.. Tolin, captured johnson
and Taylor, who were armed with knives,
and had been cutting the hose whenever an
opportunity afforded. johnson failed to cs-
cape by climbing over the wall. He then
hurried back to the co llar shop and
SET IT ON FIRE.
The shop was full of straw and other com
busttble matter and consequently burned
very rapidly. About twenty five OF tho con
vi Is were in the mutny and the number in
creased until they were checked. johnson
was the ring-lcader, and with his cOnfeder-
ates they overpowered 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 desperate character and would fre-
quently make serious trouble in the prison.
Recently ne made an unsuccessful attempt to
escape. Captain Bradbury estimates the num-
Der of prisoners that viii be idle conse-
quence of the fire at 600.
THE BUILDINGS BURNED
were as follows; No. shop, occupied by
Strauss & Co. as a collar and harness factory.
No. shop, first and second floors occupied
by Strauss Co as a tannery and 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 as
machine shop. Shop No. 4, occupied on the
first floor by the Standard shoe Company,
and on the second and third floors by the
Gieseclce Boot and Shoe Company.
These buildings have all been erected with
in the last ten years.
THE STATES LOSS
on tins property is total, and will foot up to
S80,97I according to the inventory by the APP
pTaisers and reported by the inspectors to the
Assembly on January Is last. OF this amount
shops 2, and 4 represent respectively SI2,5O0,
S25 900 and Sis O0o. The machinery, boilers
anu 5DdiJlI2 sbdul IOE 9l3gZDu5 Nuue the pal
ance covers the oil house, hose house, water
tanks, corn mills machine shops. wooden
factory, carpenter shops and furniture be
lonbing to the State in the shops.
The fire throws $50 prisoners and fifty square
men out OF employment. It will probably
take the whole of the building season to re-
build and redt the shops, bat the Warden
thinks a large part of the men will be at work
III three months.
THE COSTRACT LOSSES
1t is impossible to estimate accurately the
manufacturers los ses at present. Mr.Giesecke
is insured for $50 coo, and his loss viii not
equal this amount as he succeeded in saving
portion of the stock. Mr.. Strauss says he IS
insured for something like S62 900, but thinks
hi ) actual loss on stock is between 10000 and
500 coo. The Standard Shoe Company carry
an insurance of S7G,OO), and this amount Is
somewhat in excess of their loss. The Excel
sior Broom Company's loss is 5000, and not
insured
A DESPERATE MAN.
johnson, the ring -lcader of the revolt to
day was sent up from Shelby County for rob
berry and grand larceny and was a terror to
that county. He put up at a hotel in that
county and during the night lie entered the
bedroom Of the proprietor with cooked re-
volver, and, in the presence of his vile,
unlock the safe and deliver hfs
money-quite a large sum. He was ar
him During his tr1al at ShelbyviIfe he
jumped out Of the Court house window, car
rying out the sash, and in the fan broke his
leg. johnson madea a desperate effort to eschpe !
while on his way to Jefferson City by Ht-
tempt to snatch pistol from one OF The
guards. He was overpowered and brought
here in irons.
Expiring Bank Charters.
WASHINGTON, D. c., February u