Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-11-05
sDramatic Scene ii. Il Prison,


Iramatic Scene III 4 Prison, II
When James Driscoll was i ( years
Old be was detected ia q burglary il
this city, and lie shot at the polics-|
men who arrested him He was con-
victed and served out sentence 81
ten. years at Sing Sing gaining the
reputation there Of being q trouble,
some prisoner. Shortly after lis re-
lease he was sent to Blackwell's Is.
land for an assault, and at the ex-
piration 81 his term he went over TO
New Jersey. In the fall Of last year he
was caught in q store, in Passaic, and
q, conviction OF breaking, entering, and
stealing was obtained against him.
He was sentenced to the state
prison in Trenton for two years, and
his term began on November Is. He
was then % years old, S feet and
II inches tail, and very athletic. He
had bad sight-and worse temper, and he
was at once rated as q fellow who was
likely to make trouble. He was plac-
ed in the hands of the brush contrac-
tor, and taught to run machine which
hooks out a. certain quantity ofbristles
from a circular bunch of stock and
seWs them into the holes in the wood
en- brush backs. A dozen similar m a.
| chimes are in the room on the first
floor Of the brush shop, and, altogeth-
,, er, between thirty and forty conv:cts
are employed there. Deputy Keeper
Ashley has charge of the men on this
floor: and he is known in the prison
| as good natured and kind hearted,
but strict disciplina,lan.
Ashley was sitting behind his elevated
desk and Chief Inspector David Cart
wright, OF Newark was conversina
with one OF the prisoners when the
sound OF low singing was heard
throughout the room. Ashley in
stantly saw that Driscoll was the
man who was guilty OF this fragrant
breach Of the rules but instead Of re,
! porting him to the Office or "cenUre,' -
as the rotunda of the prison is called
| he stepped down from the platform
and went to Driscolps machine.
What do you mean by singing?"
he asked.
ut don't do no harm to sing a. lit.
tie bit," said the convict, without
raising his eyes.
II will have to report you," said
Keeper Ashley, turning to 60 back to
/ his desk, but the moment he turned
his back Driscoll seized him by the
collar. and grasping a heavy iron
wedge used in the machine, raised il
| over the keepers head. A murmur oil
excitement ran through the room,
! and many of the prisoners stood up
| Keeper Ashley was cool, however, and
/ tearing himself from the convict 5
! grasp, he retired to his desk and wrote
! out report against Driscoll, who re.
manned standing with the wedge in his
hand.
Two keepers came in answer to a
summons, and as they entered the
room Driscoll seized long brass
handled needle from his work bench
,, and sprang into the corner OF the room
where he placed his back against the
, elevator shaft and shouted that he
would kill the first man who laid a
hand on him. The two keepers advanc
ed to within ten feet of him and
drew their revolvers. Ashley, fearing
a general revolt, rang the alarm signal,
! and in a. few seconds keepers were
! pouring into the room from every di.
! rection. Then the signal was rung fo1
the convicCs to fall in line, and under
the care Of four keepers they all march
ed out but Driscoll. who still defed
the officers, and brandished the wedge
in his right hand, while in his left he
held the needle, ready to pierce any
one who came within reach. A dozen
keepers hemmed him in and stood
ready to shoot him down if he made q
step toward them.
'Lay down those tools and give ur
or we shall be obliged to shoot you,'
said one OF the keepers.
"Shoot and be DID," answered
Driscoll, defidntly. I will have one
life for it, any way"
eff you don't surrender in five min
utes l will put bal! through you,
said the keeper, taking out his watch
and counting the minutes aloud. As
he said "Five," Inspector Cartwright
who has control Of the prison, shouted
'Don't shoot!" and moment later
he added: "Give him time to consid or
Talk to him."
The keepers extended the time tc
ten minutes, and meanwhile endeavor
ed to reason with the desperate man
He answered with jeers and taunts
and swore at the officers villainously
as if to tempt them to loose patience
and xii! HIM. Feeling that there was
no recourse but to shoot him, the In
spector walked slowly out OF the
room knowing his departure would
be taken as a withdrawal Of his
command. The instant he shut the
door, however, he relented, and rush
ing back into the room he shouted
Don't shoot" just in time to arrest
the fingers that were pressing the trig
gers. Ono of the keepers turned and
expostulated with Inspector Cart
wright, saying:
'Would you see one ofus murdered:
Isn't any one OF our lives worth more
than this wretch?"
"If anybody is to be killed, I will be
the man." said the Inspector resoiute
ly, pressing forward into the ranks o.
the keepers. They tried to hold him
back, but he thrust them aside and
advanced to within FIVE feet of the
man who menaced his Life with tive
ugly weapons. ,@
"Young man." he said, "you are
acting very foolishly. You are throw
ing away your life. Do you know who
! I amp" ~. ~, @..:Sss.. H