Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-25
THE CONVICT RIOT.
Additional Particulars Of the Revolt In
the Missouri Penitentiary-A Severe
Blow TO the State.
An Inhuman Brute in Kentucky Charged
With Rayishing His Step.Daughter-
The Shaner Murder.

ST.. LOUIS, February 24.-The latest ad-
vices from Jeffer son City say the excitement
attending the fire yesterday has partially
subsidized, and affairs at the prison are get
ting into shape again. The blow dealt the
Stale is q severe one, and The penilentisry,
which has not recovered from the disastrous
couAagration of nearly two years ago, will
be of little use 10 the State for another SIX
months. The buildipg destroyed was owned
by the State. The stock and machinery be- |
longed TO the contractors. The mutiny is |
described as follows:
JOHN B JOHNSON,
a safe blower, BY The record, was sent up for
twelve years from Shelby county last No
vember on conviction for highway robbery.
He declared his intention 10 beat the prison,
and from the first was set down as a dan
gerous man. The desperate act OF yesterday
was his third attempt 10 escape. The men
had Just marched back from dinner to the
shops, and were seeking their various
benckeF, when, in recognition Of some pre-
concerted signal, eight men employed in the
harness shop of Jacob Strauss & Co. seized
their formidable lealher-cutting knives and
THE REVOLT BEGAN.
Four OF them seized the foreman of the bar
ness shop and stripped him Of his clothing.
| The other four ran to the floor below, seized
| Yauhorn, foreman of the collar department,
| and with knives at his throat ordered him
not 10 resist. He did not. Then johnson
ran back into the collar-stufhng department
| and fred lot of loose straw. Satisfied that
the flames had taken hold, the desperate
M an dashed out of the building and ran 10
| the saddle-tree factory of John Sullivan,
| with the intention of enticing a revolt there.
| At the main entrance 10 the shop he met
Pat Krump, one of the guards, who, seeing
him with a knife and club in his hand,
warned him off. At that moment the
FLAMES BURST FROM THE w1N'ows
of Strauss factory. Krump saw what was
| up. He was not armed, but yelling 10 john
son, "One step more and you are dead
man." the desperate turned and ran toward
the northea st corner of the grounds with the
intention of scaling the walls. On his way
he ran against Jesse Tolin, the "dresser i'm
of the prison, who b sd sought the court-y ard
at the first alarm. johnson paused and stood
defiant with his knife ard his bludgeon,
threatening 10 brain Tolin if he came near
enough Tolin ia q small man, while the
convict is a giant in build and strength, but
the plucky guard, looking his man square IN
the eye, wslked up 10 him, and placing
THE MuzzLE OF Cooked REVOLVER
against his ear, ordered him 10 walk 10 the
blind cell The convict lost his grip, and
obeyed Deputy Warden Bradbury cam,
I'D at this iuncture, and the promptest efortI
were made to capture and confine in tn,
, blind cell Johuson's companions. Doe o
. 7 them was Jerome S. johnson, doing INVENT,
years for murder in the second degree from
Clay county, and another, Perry Martin, on
OF the stage robbers who last summer terror
lied Southwest Missouri and held up severa
i stages between Seligmau and Eureka Springs
, Williams, OF Kansas City. who inaugurate,
the revolt in the Kansas City jail last spring
was another OF the party. They were
) ALL DESPERATE MEN.
While the guards were attending 10 tn
4 discipline Of the prison the alsrm was blowr
and the great bell changed out the warniu
Z that mutiny was in the prison. The iele
phone informed the people OF the town Q
the state of AFFAIR.". A great volume Q
! smoke and fame shot out from the buildin
d, | and attracted attention, and there was
: | general movement TO the penitentiary. AID
: jutant. General Wsddell emptied The armor
a of guns, which, with ammunition, were i'm
mediately loaded in wagons and hurried {
the prison, where plenty OF willing hand
Q were ready TO receive them. In lees iha
( ten minutes lines were formed surroundin
q the prison walls, and dignifed senators, cap
. italists, bankers, merchants and wood-saW
! yers, stood shoulder to shoulder prepared I
r | vindicaie
THE MAJESTY OF THE LAW,
by putting hole in any convict who dare
10 make break for liberty. The wall
were covered by armed men, and fror
n the roofs of the prison buildings gun
frowned in a warlike and threatening man
ner. Luckily ihsrs no necessity 70
using these weapons, for the convicts, seein
the hundreds of armed men ready to ASST
d the prison officials, at the command OF Cap
Brad bury fell into line and were marched I
the old cell building, near the south wal
where they were locked in and all danger o
u further attempt at resistance OF escape wa
passed. Aboat 1I50 of the 400 convicts i
e prison were disposed Of. The remainder wer
trusted 10 assist in controlling the fire. A
It the outset the mutineers
CUT THE FIRE HOSE
e as fast as it was laid by the prison guard
but finally the whole force OF guards, wit
pistols and Winchester rifles, overpowere
the convicts, and streams OF water from b
prison hose and city Fire Department WEI
turned on the flames, and, after despera,
~ | Efforts, Inc nfe was brought unoer conlro
Four convicts in Strauss & Co.'s factory wei
e seriously burned, and are now in the hospiIa
PRIVATE LOSSES,
4 as accurately as can be sscertaiued now, are
a The Standard Shoe Company, of Mysenber
,. & Co., $4,000, fully insured; Giesck & Co
shoe shop, $4,000, fully insured; Strauss
g. Co., harness and collar factory, SIS, 900, il
@ sured for 10000; Excelsior Broom FACTORY
$4,000, half insured. The losses on the thrt
10 buildings belonging to the State will increa,
1t the total to fully $500, 600 The new cell bulC
ing was damaged about $1,000, and the no
,e pilal slightly injured. After the FIRE VIZ
Us under control the prisoners were returned /
70 their regular cells. During the excitemei
er johnson, the ringl ider, broke ont of th
blind cell and attempted to incite a fires
lie outbreak. He obtained, by some unknow
tn mesns, razor and an iron poker, and a
tempted to kill a convict who refused
IN assist in the revolt. He was finally owe
De come, placed in the dungeon, and at th
writing the discipline of The prison is pref
1e well restored.
THE SHANER MURDER.
~ HOW THE UNFORTUNATE MAN WAS BRUTA