Huntsville gazette., 1883-03-03
A DASH FOR LIBERTY.
nIutinous Convicts Apply the Torch to the
Missouri Penitentiary-A Bold Plan Of
Escape Frustrated by Determined

UudrdS.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo, February %.
This city was to- day the scene of one of the
most exciting events in the States history
fire in the penitentiary. attended with a
| threatened outbreak of convicts.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
The fire was set by desperate named John
Ii. johnson, who was sent up for highway
robbery in October, 1882, from shelby County.
lie is serving 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.
+. Taylor, who was sent up from Jackson
Countyfor sixteen years, also for 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. A little
after twelve noon johnson with three of his
accomplces went into the driving depart
mcnt OF the straw collar shop and
commenced an assault on Mathew
Schlnberg, formerly of the collar department.
He made several passes with big knife,
aiming at Schinberg'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 bone. The desperadoes
tiitii hIlOChcI SCulnDeTS uOWn, SCOOu MN up
again and walked him over into corner and
CoRRALLED HIM THERE.
| Having thus fixed Schinberg they next at
tackled his partner, John Snyder, made him
unstrip his clothes, which johnson put on
! and thus dressed in Square clothes lie
walked out of the shop, seized short ladder
and going to the northeast angle of the peni-
tentiary yard placed the ladder against the
| II ord off +ha
| house, not susDecting a convict there in
square" clothes, inquired, "What are you go
| ing to do with that ladder?' johnson an
! sSered that there 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 al once.
johnson then went back to the stu1ing shop
and with match set fire to the loose straw
used in stuffing collars. He also cut the hose,
| and meeting again with Schinberg he threat
| ened to kill him.
HE ARMED HIMSELF
with a club in one hand and 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 convics 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 cell-house
where he was captured by Captain Bradbury.
Iio droPped his weapons on seeing Bradbury.
He was then conveyed with his accompnces
into the blind cell.
CAPTAIN BRADBURY's STATEMENT.
Capt Bradbury, the Deputy Warden, made
the following statement: THE fire occurred
about u 80 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 a muiiny among the convicts
in the collar department.. l immedi-
atey 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
a 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. L was informed that johnson had
started the fire, and in company with mum
Der of confederates were doing all in their
power to keep it from being extinguished. In
company with Mr.. Toln, I captured johnson
and Taylor, who were armed with knives,
and had been cutting the hose whenever an
opportunity afforded Johnson failed to es-
cape by climbing over the wall. He then
hurried back to the co liar shop and
SET IT ON FIRE.
The shop was full Of straw and other com
Oustible matter and consequently burned
very rapidly. About twenty five of the con-
victs were in the mutiny and the number in
creased until they were checked johnson
was the ring leader, 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 fire.
quently make serious trouble in the prison.
Recently he made an unsu 3cessful attempt to
escape. Captain Bradbury estimates the num-
Der of prisoners that will be idle as a conse.
quence of the fire at 600.
THE BUILDINGS BURNED
we're as follows: No. 2 shop occupied by
Strauss Co. as a collar and harness factory.
No shop, first and second floors occupied
by Strauss Co. as 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
| a machine shop. Shop No. a, occupied on the
first foor by the Standard Shoe Company
and on the second and third floors by the
Giesecke Boot and Shoe Company.
These buildings have all been erected with
In the last ten years.
THE STATES LOSS
on this property is total, and will foot up to
| $50 97I according to the inventory by the ap-
praisers and reported by the inspectors to the
| Assembly on January Is last. OF this amount
| shops 2, 8 and represent respectively Sl2,5O0,
| s2j 600 and SIS 600. The machinery, boilers
and shafting stand for SIS $50, while the bal
! ance covers the oil house, hose house, water
| tanks, corn mills, machine shops, woolen
factory, carpenter shops and furniture be
| longing to the State in the shops.
The fire throws $50 0prisoners and fifty square
men out OF employment. 1t 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
! in three months.
THE CONTRACTORS LOSSES.
| It is impossible to estimate accurately the
manufacturers losses at present. Mr.Giesecke
| is insured for S5.0o9 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 $4,000, but thinks
| hisactual loss on stock is between 100000 and
4 orA