Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1886-04-29
A BLOODY REVOLT.
One Thousand COnYicts Capture
the Interior Of a Penitentiary.
The Guards Conquer Themaf Bat.
ting for Two Hours.

a most startling revolt took place at ST.
Vincent de Paul Provincial Penitentiary,
about fifteen miles from Montreal, the other
afternoon. The contest lasted for nearly two
hours, and resulted in the killing Of one con
vict and wounding of sixteen other persons.
some Of them fatally, including the warden
Of the Institution.
In this penitentiary were confined about q
thousand prisoners, comprising the most
desperate characters in Canada. The work
Of the different gangs was in progress as
usual when suddenly q convict stood up in
the open yard and held up one hand. 1t was
a preconcerted signal, for in an
instant each gang which had
been expecting the movement leaped
upon their unsuspecting guard and quickly
overpowered him They took his arms from
him and tied him up. Fifteen or sixteen men
were thus disposed of, and then the convicts
were In possession of the interior of the Jail
They were also armed with the guards re-
volvers and ammunition and almost irnme-
diately had Chief Warden Laviolette o pris-
soner, he, too, being overpowered and tied
The convicts then armed themselves with
crowbars and other implements and moved
toward the walls to break down the gates
There were eight or nine men on the walls
armed with rifles, and these few ordered the
criminals back to their cells. The desperate
conylcts continued to advance, holding up
Chief Warden Laviolette in front of them as
target The other wardens, bound hand
and foot, were also used in the same way.
Never mind me. men, fire away and do
your duty shouted Chief Warden Iavio-
lette
Seeing that the men hesitated, he reiterated
L. Al.
about him, Then commenced fusilade and
the bullets whistled back and forth between
the revolving convicts and the guards for some
time AT last the conyicts determined to carry
the walls by storm, and procured ladders.
Convict Viau, French Canadian, led the
storming party, covered by his fellow con-
Yicts, who peppered away with the captured
revolvers. He had almost gained the para
pet when guard fired point blank at him
and he fell to the ground, where he lay as if
shot, but was really only badly scared and
shocked by his fall.
Convict Corriveau then sprang up the lad
der, to fall dead the next instant with a bull
use against rifles, and the death Of Corriveau
dampened the ardor Of the convicts, yet still
they fought on.
Meantime assistance had been teIephoned
for to the Montreal Police Headquarters, and
number of men, under Chief Cullen, were
az once dlSpaDcned TO Lne prison.
The firing had startled the villagers, but
they could render no assistance.
The guards OH the wall stood to their
posts, and only one of theIn-Private Chart
rand-was hit. He received bullet in his
leg.
The pIucky Chief Warden lay where his
men could see him bleeding to death-his
jaw shattered, ball through his groin, an
other through the body and
fourth through his arm The guards
picked off their men with such celer-
ity that Convict Holton was weltering
in his blood, Convict Monday shot through
both arms and Convict Norman wounded
badly in two places, and eight or ten others
were wounded Then the convicts threw
away their arms and rushed for cover to
their cells. They were promptly locked in
and the guards were once more in possession.