St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-03-10
A PENITENTIARY REVOLT.

| a fENlIENIlASI KEtULIs
| Mutinous Convicts Apply the Torch to the
Missouri Penitentiary-A Bold Plan OF
Escape Frustrated by Determined
| Guards.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, February %.
This city was to day the scene IF one OF the
| most exciting events in the States history
fire in the penitentiary, attended with q
threatened outbreak OF convicts.
| ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The fire was set by desperate named John
b. johnson, who was sent up for highway
robbery in October, 1882, from Shelby County.
lie 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.
| +. Taylor, who was sent up from Jackson
County for sixteen years, also for robbery,
and Perry Martin, who is on a 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
schinberg formerly of the collar department..
He made several passes with a big knife,
| aiming at Schinberg's breast, when the latter
raised his arm to ward Off the thrust and was
severely cut in two places on his arm, the
gashes going to the bone.7 The desperadoes
then knocked Schinberg down, stood him up
again and walked him over into corner and
coRRALLED HIM THERE.
HAVING fbuo fl vad ccl,inborcr novt Of.
tackled his partner, John Snyder, made him
unstrip his clothes, which johnson put on,
and thus dressed in Square clothes he
walked out of the shop, seized short ladder
and going to the northeast angle of the penf.
Tertiary yard placed the ladder against the
wall. 4. j. Love, guard of the round
house, not suspectfng a convict there in
square" clothes, inquired, "What are you go
ing to do with that LADDER" johnson an
swered that there was 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 at ONCE.
johnson then went back to the stuffing shop
and with a match set fire to the loose straw
used in stufling collars. He also cut the hose,
and meeting again with Schinberg he threat
ened to kill him.
HE ARMED HIMSELF
with club in one hand and a 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 convicts 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 dollhouse,
where he was captured by Captain Bradbury.
IJa
He was then conveyed with his accomplices
into the blind cell.
CAPTAIN BRADBURY'S STATEMENT.
Capt. Bradbury, the Deputy Warden, made
the following statement: "The fire occurred
about 1880 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 mutiny among the conyicts
in the collar department.. I immedi-
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. / was not aware until after this that
fire had been set, but as soon rs 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 num-
Der of contederates were doing all in their
power to keep it from being extinguished. 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 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
bustible 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 Hoxn,
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 Jobn.
son was desperate character and would ire.
quently make serious trouble in the prison.
Recently he made an unsu ccessfui attempt to L
escape. Captain Bradbury estimates the num-
Der Of prisoners that will be idle as a conc.
quence of the fire at 600.
THE BUILDINGS BURNED
were as follows No. 2 shop occupied ~
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 floor by the Standard Shoe Company,
and on the second and third floors by the
Giesecke Boot and Shoe Company.
These buildings hate all been erected with.
In the last ten years.
THE STATES LOSS
On this property is total, and will foot up 50 4
$50 ,s7l according to the inventory by the ap-
praisers and reported by the inspectors to the
on January Is last OF this amount
shops 2, 8 and represent respectively $l2 800,
s26 600 and SIS 600. The machinery boilers