The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-21
Couv;cssip Revolt.
sIYG-siNG LAUNDIYMEN REFUSE TO WORK
A RIOT THREATENED.

| A Sing-Sing On. " special OF the 10Th
SAYS: The men employed in the laundry at
the state prison. numbering about 100,
went 10 work as usual this morning.
About O'Clock they began getting down
one by one until twelve or fifteen had left
their places. They refused TO continue
work and were marched to their cells
These men were all from the floor on which
the ironing is done. After they had gone
Charles Strauss atlas Conrad Strewing, Of
New York, who IS serving two terms, az
gregating four years. for grand larce-
M, led nine starchers down from
| the floor above, aud enough OF the IRON
ers who were left TO make thirty in all
! Joined them. Some OF the convicts pro-
posed TO go to the prison Jail aud liberate
the prisoners confined IN the dark cells.
Keepers were called in from the yard and
the convicts were driven into line and
marched 10 their cells. Some Of them
tried TO get away, but they Were kept in
the ranks. When asked what they meant
by their actions few said they did not Ike
the keeper, James Connaughton, who has
been in the laundry for eight years, and
Warden Brush says the keeper is one
OF the best officers in the prison. The
prison Jail has accommodations for only
10. and there was no room in 1t for the dis
orderly spirits. Warden Brush said to-
night that the disturbance had been grow
ing for thirty days. The men had been
IabOring under excitement, and had been
impudcnt; they had violated the rules and
done many things to break down the Gis-
cipiine. On January 20th the prison began
to lose in labor. In addition to being in
solent, the men claimed to be sick, when
=. ,.I rsnt, 10
work until out OF the 1,555 men in the
prison only 1904 were at work to-day.
Following the general average, there
should have been about 1920 at work.
The feeling eliminated on Saturday, when
the men in the laundry, quitting their
work, surrounded lawyer Sigerson, who
accompanied the Assembly Investigating
Committee. and handed him notes and
communications. At the same time four
men left The shoe-sbop without permission,
and going TO the principal keepers office
demanded TO see the committee. -Four OF
the leaders in the laundry were put in the
dark cells; they were John Il. Jones, serv-
Ing seven years for robbery Robert Suf-
frage alias Robert j. Rummels, three
years for obtaining money for false pre-
fences David Bird, five years for
burglary and larceny, and James Ha-
gan, seven and a half years for
grand larceny and assault with intent TO
| iniure. All were from New York, and,
with the exception OF the first-named, had
served one or two terms in prison before.
| A vile letter found on Jones says that he
gave the whole crew, meaning the officers,
a laying-out before the committee. Charles
Beckwith, b. Il. Rabbits embezzling book
keeper. gave Sigerson a sealed packet to
| hand 10 the Governor. When q contractor
asked him what he did that for, Jones says
Beckwith told the former to go to bell.
| Warden Brush said he feared trouble to-
morrow. lie attributed The rebellious feel
| ing among the men-the disturbance to-day
was evidently hatchcd up yesterday-and
the outbreak 60 statements by dismissed
! keeper and eX-cCnyict printed in a New
York newspaper, and to the subsequent en-
enlargement in the belief that they were
prosecuted, they were led TO think that by
doing their part in creating a row inside
the prison the contract system would be
broken up. Six months ago the warden
said the prison was rs perfect in discipline
as it was possible to make it. but
the good order had been ruined. A
week ago to-day a man in the laundry
called Fritz told the warden in the
presence OF the chairman OF the AS
sembly committee that he was satisfied and
could finish his days task. ironing twenty
six shirts, by noon il he wanted 70. The
next day, while at the furnace TO get an
iron, another convict struck him from be-
hind with an iron and cut his head so
badly that he was laid up. This, the war;
den said, was because he did not complain
OF his treatment.
Principal Keeper Dixon, in conversation
with 1uaeS reporter yesterday afternoon,
said that nearly all discipline had been de-
stroyed In the prison since the committee
had been there. There had been generated
a feeling OF discomfort among the conyicts,
and he would not be surprised at further
acts OF INSTRUMENTATION.
ny Associated Press
SING SING, February 2O.--To-day eighty
men in the shoeshop at Sing-Sing prison re-
fused to work, and they have been locked