Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-08-21
A TERRIBLE MUTINY
A Desperate Outbreak in a Ken.
lucky Prison.
A Mutiny In Prison.


FRANKFORT, KY, Aug. 1.-THE
most desperate outbreak known in the
history of the pcnitentiary, took place
this morning about $50 o'clock. The
alarm was given by one of the trustees
riding through the city on horse back
and calling upon the citizens to 60 to
the rescue of the guards. The excite
ment spread, and the citizens, with
arms in their hands, poured out OF
their houses and ran with the great.
est speed 10 the penitentiary. In the
meantime brisk firing was heard
the alarm bell on the engine house
rang, and trusty messengers on horse
back stopped several times at the
point of tine pistol an escaping con
vict. By the time aid arrived at the
prison the terrible struggle was over,
and there was nothing but a great
number of bullet holes, the blood of
wounded men, and a thousand panic
stricken citizens at the gates. The
gates were locked and barred. When
the authorities were satisfied that all
was quiet, and all the convicts placed
under lock and key in the cells, the
outer doors were unbarred and admit
lance to few persons granted. Capt.
Ed Johnson, who is a guard at the
gate, says he had received intimation
of conspiracy being on foot for the
past two weeks, and had been very
watchful and careful in locking and
unlocking the gate. 1t had been
the custom to allow the prisoners
TO make, at leisure hours, little ar
ticles of various kinds for friends
and relatives, and when John r.
Wolff, son of the county clerk of
Scott county, who was recently sent
for ten years from Lexington for
forgery, drew near the gate with box
and asked permission to set it outside,
that the clerk might have it shipped
to George Capt. Johnson opened
the gate and told HIM to step out and
put it down in the doorway. James
Cunningham, trustee, sent for life
from Hickman county fourteen years
ago for numbering man who had Sc
duced his sister, was within the gate
way, but q little removed from the
gate at the time. Just as John
turned to speak to Mr.. Chas K. Hage,
one of the lessess who was in another
room across the doorway to which
Wolff had been directed. Johson
he doesn't remember anything. He
fell senseless from the blow struck by
the bottle which Wolff had concealed
about him. Eight other prisoners,
who must have used Wolff for their
purposes, were at that moment along
the wall on the inside, out of sight of
the guard When Johnson fell they
pushed the gate open and made rush
for the arms, which are kept in one
of the rooms near by. Cunningham
ran to the rescue of Johnson and
dragged George Alsop, a life prisoner,
sent from Jefferson county, off of
him just as he was in the act of
plunglng knife into the fallen
guard Meanwhile, d. 0. Robinson,
a guard from the shop, came to the
gate and firing became brisk and gem
eral, while Cunningham arrested
G. w. Graves, prisoner sent from
Madison for eigteen years for murder
and, finally managed to run him up
stairs and put him under lock and
key.
Alsop drew pistol On Capt. L. D.
Holloway, the prison clerk, who
jumped out of the window and ran
out into the street. Wolff, with
arms, had gotten into the street and
was firing at Capt. H. c. PayEe, 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. Hol-
loway, who was unarmed, was de-
scribing a circle in the street, while
Alsop was pouring volley after volley
at him frons behind a tree to the
south. 4 young man who CHANGED
to have a gun in his hand WHINE
the alarm was given, took aim at Al
sop and it is believed hit him in the
shoulder. The two convicts then at
tempted to cover their retreat by rapid
firing on Payne and Smith, but the
brave boy from behind the tree shot
Wolff in the leg and he fell and was
captured by Alsop The Graves, sent
from Jackson county for twenty-one
years for murder, and w. |. Grant,
from Anderson county, twenty-one
years for murder, started on a run for
Owenton. On the turnpike they met
Allen Jones, an Owen county farmer,
coming into the city in a buggy and
forced him to give up the buggy to
them, drove two or three miles in the
buggy, left it on the road and took
across the hills. More than thirty
men have gone in pursuit but no
tldings has yet been received from
each. The escaping convicts armed
with n.Jre than revolyers are al. re
garded as most desperate under sem
tence of confinement.
Robinson, the guard it is thought,
will suffer amputation of leg.
Cunningham, the trustee, who
rendered such praiseworthy services,
and receiving the gratitude of the
city, as well as a powerful pledging
in his behalf for his pardon He was
severely cut with knife and wound
ed to dangerous extent. Captain
johnson was also beaten over the