Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1884-08-23


bell on the enginehOuse was rung,
and the trusty messenger on horse
back was stopped several times at
the point Of a pistol, mistaken for
an escaping convict. BY the time
aid arrived at the prison the torll-
bic struggle was over
A thousand panic-stricken cit
liens were at the gates, which were
locked and barred. When the
authorities were satisfied that all
was quiet and all the convicts had
been placed under lock and key III
the cells, the outer doors were un-
barred and admittance Of q few
persons was granted. Capt. Ed.
Johnson, who is the guard at the
gate, says he had receiyd an in
timation that a conspiracy has
been on foot for the past two
weeks, and had been very watch
full and careful in locking and un-
locking the gate.
1t had been the custom to allow
prisoners to make at leisure hours
little articles of various kinds for
friends and relatives, and when
John K. Wolff, son OF the county
clerk of Scott County, who was re-
Gently sent for ten years from
Lexington for forgery, drew near
the gate with a box and asked per-
mission to set it outside that the
clerk might have it shipped to
Georgetown, Capt. Johnson OPEN
ed the gate and told him to step
out and put it down III the door
way.
james Cunningham, trusty,
sent for life from Hickman Coun-
ty, fourteen years ago for murdef!
ing a man who seduced his sister,
was within the gateway, but lit
tic removed from the gate at the
time.
Just as Johnson opened the gate
he turned to speak to Mr.. Charles
E. Hodge, one of the lessces, who
was in another room across the
| doorway, to which Wolff had been
directed. Johnson says he does
not remember anything after that.
He fell senscless from a blow,
struck by a bottle which Wolff had
concealed about him. Eight other
prisoners, who must have used
Wolff for their purpose, were at
that moment along the wall on the
inside, just out of sight of the
guard. When Johnson fell they
pushed The gate open and made Il
rush for the arms, which were kept
in one Of the rooms near by.
Cunningham ran to the rescue OF
Johnson and dragged George Alsop,
life prisoner sent from Jefferson
county, off him just as he was in
the act Of plunging a knife into the
fallen guard. In the meantime D.
o. Robinson, q guard from the
shop, came to the gate and the
firing became brisk and general.
While Cunningham was wrestling
with G. W. Groves, a prisoner sent
from Madison for eighteen years for
murder, and finally managed to run
him up stairs and put him under
lock and key, Alsop drew q pistol
ON Capt. L. D. Holloway, prison
clerk, who jumped out of the win
dow and ran out into the street.
Wolff, with the arms, had gotten
into the street and was firing on
Capt. II. {. Payne, one of the
guards, who returned the fire, and
though fully exposed to their as
sault, was making brave efforts to
drive the prisoners back. Capt.
Holloway, who was unarmed, was
describing a circle. in the street,
while Alsop fired shot after shot at
him.
Bud South, a young man who
CHANGED to have a gun in his hand
when the alarm was given. took
aim at Alsop, and, it is believed,
hit him in the shoulder. The two
convicts then attempted to cover
their retreat by rapid firing on
Payne and South, but the brave
boy, from behind tree, shot Wolff
in the leg, and he fell. and was cap
tured. Alsop, Theophilus Graves
(sent from Jackson county for
twenty years for murder) and W.
I. Grant (sent from Anderson