The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-04
CONVICT LABOR,
How the Question Was Settled by Citizens
of JeffersOnvilIe.

now Cue VueSClOn was S0ttl0Q Oy C1ttZenS
of Jacksonville.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
The convictiabor question was summariiy dis
posed of in Indiana In 1860, and since that time
convicts have been worked outside of the
prison walls, except on State grounds Times
then were unusually hard, it will be remembered
Prisoners worked outside and performed almost
every conceivable kind of labor. housekeeping
wood to laying brick, building houses and making
wagons. The Louisville water-works were
being built and the convicts in the Jeffersonville
prison were employed in making the brick, just
across tine river On the opposite bank. The citi-
zens Of that little town were highly indignant,
and held meetings to protest against this action
on the part of the directors in leasing the
convicts for such work. Hundreds of free
workmen were out of employment while
the convicts had all they could do. A meeting
of the citizens was called at the market-house.
which was ther the principal building in the
city, and comm Zee Of twenty was appointed
to wait on the dire ors and request the discon-
tinuance of the leaA ag Of convict labor for work
outside the walls. There was no law authoriz-
irg such action on the part Of the prison direct
ors, and and the latter declined to act in the
matter, and the zebra CARRIED mechanics went on
with their work.
The commi ZEE then decided to hold a secret
session and take some decisive steps. Tt was
agreed to assemble together mob and drive the
prisoners in. In case they were sent out again,
1t was further resolved to fill each of the gas
mains (the gas-works were being built then) I'M
der the prison walls, with six kegs of gunpow-
der, and blow the prison to pieces
They also resolved to plant twenty-four
pound cannon in front Of the prison. and other
wise add to the general demolition Of the build
ing.
The next day. when the prisoners were sent out
as usual, with Dan Austin. VIM. Thurman and
Colonel Keigwin in charge of them, the fire bells,
which was the signal for the calling together of
the mob, were rung, and in very few minutes
there were 900 people on the ground, all armed
to the teeth, and ready for almost any kind of
work, owing to the great excitement under
which they were laboring. William Hilton, a
COOL determined man, was made the leader of
the party, and they marched to Keigwins brick
yard, opposite the water-works, on the Indiana
side. Without much difficulty they captured
the convicts, about forty-ive in number, and
drove them before them in triumph to the prison,
where they were turned over to the warden, and
locked up They went down to woods near by
where sixty more convicts were at work cutting
wood and treated them in the same manner.
By this time 1900 people had congregated in
front of the prison Speeches were made to the
warden and directors. by Capt. A. j. Howard
lwho is now warden) William Hilton and others,
and the excitement was intense. Many of the
mob were in favor of then and there taking down
the walls, liberating the prisoners. and forever
however, after notifying the officers of the prison
that if they did not accede to their requests they
would blow up the institution. The directors
were by this time fully cognizant Of the fact
that further resistance was useless, and agreed
to the terms proposed by the citizens. This was
the way the convict labor question was settled in
Indiana.