The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-08-21
PRISON REVOLT.

LOUISVILLE, August 14.-A Fran
4 fort special to the Evening Time
: says: The most desperate outbree
known in the history of the penite
! tiary took place this morning abol
! $50 o'clock. The alarm was given /
! one of the turnkeys riding throug
! the city on horseback, and calling 9
citizens to go to the rescue of tt
guards. The excitement spread, an
!, citizens. arms in hand, came pourin
out of their houses and ran with gres
speed to the penitentlary. In th
meanwhile brisk firing was hearC
The alarm bell on the engine hous
rang and trusty messenger on hors
back was stopped several times at tn
point of pistol drawn by an escaI
ing convict By the time aid arrive
at the prison the terrible struggle wa
over and nothing remained but gTea
number of bullet holes, bloody
wounded me1, and a thousand panic
stricken citizens. The gates wer
locked and barred.
But when the authorities were sat
isfied all was quiet, and all convictl
placed under lock and key in theil
cells, the outer doors were unbarret
and admittance of persons granted.
Captain Ed johnson, who is guard
at the gate, said he had received al
intImation-that conspiracy had
been on foot for the past two weeks
He had been very watchful and care
full in locking and unlocking the gate
1t had been a custom to allow all the
prisoners to make at leisure hours
little articles OF various kinds for
their friends and relatives, and when
John r. Wolf, son of the county clerk
of Scott county, who was recently
sent there, for ten years, from
Lexington, for forgery, drew
near the gate with a box and asked
permission to set it outside, that the
clerk might have it shipped to
Georgetown, Capt. Johnson opened
the gate, and told him to step out and
put it down in the doorway. James
Cunningham, trusty, sent for life
from Hickman county, years ago. for
the murder of man who Seduced his
sister, was within the gateway, but
little removed from the gate at the
time. Just as johnson opened the
gate he turned to speak to Mr.. Chas.
E. Hoge, one of the leSsees, who was
III duOGllcI IOOlu, dClOoo 1i1O uOOl-Wdy
to which Wolf had been directed.
johnson says he doesn't remember
anything. He fell Senseless from a
blow struck with a bottle which
Wolf had concealed upon him. Eight
other prisoners, who must have used
Wolf 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 rush for the arms
which are kept in one of the rooms
near by. Cunningham ran to
the rescue Of Johnson, and
dragged George, also 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 meanwhile, d, o. Robinson,
a guard from the shops, came to the
gate and FREEING became brisk and
general, while Cunningham was
wrestling with G. W. Graves, a pris-
oner sent from Madison county, for
fifteen years, for murder, and finally
managed to run him up the stairs and
pat him under lock and key. Also, he
drew pistol on Capt. L. D. Holloway,
prison clerk, who jumped out Of d
window into the street.
Wolf, with arms, had gotten into
the street and was firing into Capt. H.
G. Payne, one of the guards, who re-
turned the fire, and though fully ex-
posed to their assault, was making
brave efforts to drive the prisoners
back. Capt. Holloway, who was uu-
was describing a circle in the
street. While Alsop was pouring
volley after volley at him, when,
from behind a tree, Bud South, a young
man who CHANGED to have
given, took aim at Alsop. 1t is be-
leved he hit him in the shoulder. The
two convic5s then attempted to cover
their retreat by rapid firing on Payne
and South, but the brave boy from
behind the tree shot Wolf in the leg.
He fell and was captured. Als0p as
sent from Jackson county tor % years
for murder, and w. T. Grant, sent
from Anderson county, q years for
murder. They started on run out
On the OWenton turnpike, and met
Allen Jones, an Owen county farmer,
into the city in a buggy, and
forced him to give the buggy up to
them. They dr6ve two or three miles
in the buggy, left it on the road and
took across the hills. More than 80
armed men gave pursuit, but no
tidingS have yet been received from
them. Each escaping convict was
armed with more than three revol-
vers. All are regarded as the most
desperate men under sentence of con-
finement.
Alsop foully murdered con-
stable Harrison in Jefferson coun-
ty, who was merely interviewing him
with summons. Grant is one of the
prisoners who attempted to escape
nearly a year ago by scaling the
walls. His wound is serious, shatter-
ing the bone of the thigh, which will
probably necessitate the amputation
of the leg. 1t is thought. however, it
will not prove fatal. Robinson, the
guard. will also, it is thought, have to
suffer amputation of the leg. Gun
the trusty, who rendered
such praise-worthy service, is receiv-
ing the gratitude of the city, and will
have powerful pledge in his behalf
for pardon. He was cut in the side
with knife, but the wound is not
dangerous. Capt. johnson was beaten
over the head and back. and is suffer
ing much pan from his wounds,
but is still at his post. Only
the three convicts named escaped,
the others having been captured
or driven rack. Wolfe says there
were nearly fifty in the plot to escape.
He is severe in his denunciation of
those who did not follow, calling
them "a lot of id towards" He
said also he was sorry that he had
net killed Geo. Alsop for going back
on his word. The arrangement be-
tween him and Alsop was to stand at
the gate and kill the first guard who
dared to approach them, and to re-
main until the whole gang in the
plot came out. This, he says, Alsop
didn't do, while he himself was true
to his word.