The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-11-27

At the signal the lines close up until each
mans stomach presses against the back of
the man in front 0i him. Then each places
his hands on the shoulders of the man pre-,
ceding him and waits. For the third time
the small man In the blue coat signals, only
one note this time, and the line nearest to
the door takes up the march with the pecu-
liar sliding, nndulatury snaie-like motion
of the "!ocked-step." An instant after
wards swo whistles cause the line behind to
move off, and in another moment the third
line starts at the sound of one whistle
/ They file out mto the prison yard and
cross it for the diotance of about ten rods
towards the main building of the prison.
Lounging about in the yard are ten or fif.
teen prisoners engaged at special tasks with
little more freedom than ordinary con-
victs. They hardly raise their heads as
their fellows pass them. Near the entrance
to the main building a blue coated man
wearing heavy watch chain aud swinging
p light switch stands talking to guard
who leans idly on his musket. This man
raises his eyes as the head Of the line ap-
proaches him, but does not move. The
guards in charge assume greater vigilance
oyer the conyicts, who also recognize the
warden, but make no sign.
1t has grown quite dark now. Mems
faces are barely recognizable, Suddenly
there is a little confusion. A man in the
first line stumbles and the line is broken.
This man is some distance from the nearest
guard, who Immediately rushes forward to
close up the gap in the line. The head of
the line has, however, gone on, and as the
man stumbled the rear stopped short like
train of cars suddenly checked The second
line, which follows in the track of the first
too closely to be instantly turned, stumbles
over the men in the first line and receives
backward impetus which it communicates
TO tie third.
As the lines stop they break, and what at
first seemed accidental turns ont to have
been premedtated. Out of the confused
mob half dozen striped jackets bound
upon the guards TO disarm them. Yclls
and curses burst upon the ear. The head
of the first line has with a rush reached
the wide doors of the main building, and
the convicts endeayor to force them shuton
the guard inside. With mad yels others
clad in striped suits rush in dozen differ
ent directions Half score fling them
selves upon the blue coated man with the
big watch chain and the guard who leans
upon the musket. Both are overborne i'm
the sudden rush, and dozen hands reach
for the throat of the warden. He is in des-
nerate hands, yet though dazed by the sud-
denness of the attack, struggles violently to
free himself. large revolver is in his
pocket, but it is under him and he cannot
reach it. lie is at the mercy Of his assail-
ants and in their faces there is no mercy.
But across the yard from the second line
form wearing the hideous prison garb
bounds as soon as that line is broken 1t
is stalwart convict, WHO makes straight
for the spot where the warden is struggling
and as he reaches it hurls his fellows aside,
as if he were a giant and they pigmies.
For moment the warden is free, but
again the madmca rash upon him, and this
time his stalwart defender is himself over
borne. lie fights desperately with his fell
lows in silence on his part and amid
storm of oaths on theirs, and tho warden
from whom the attack has been diverted,
avaling himself of the opportunity, retreats
few PAGES and drawing his revolver stands
at bay. The stalwart convict breaks away
from the half-do2en who hold him and
rushes to throw himself at the feet of the
warden. AT that instant the crack of a
musket rings out, the flash is almost in his
face and the aim is true, for he leaps into
the air, turns half way around and drops
like stone face downward. A guard has
fired without orders to protect his chief
and picked out the man he took to be the
leader of the latter's assailants As the
wounded man falls tina mad rush of his
fellows is checked as If a wall had sprung
up before them, 1t is but for moment
their confusion lasts, but before they can
recover from it they are covered by the
warden's revolver and the muskets of half
dozen guards who have by this time come
to the rescue of the warden.
Throw up your hands, boys; the games
III" says the foremost of the gang as he
realizes that the least moye on his part
means certain death. Three or four of his
companions spurn the dead body before
them with their feet, and hiss, "Curse the
traitor" but seeing that they have been
foiled fail back.
The other parties who had engaged in
assaults upon the guards seem TO have
been repulsed without the firing of single
shot and few who have been captured.
With oaths the guards are driving them
into the most secure Garner of the prison
yard, and in few moments all are penned
in like flock of sheep.
1t is now so dark that faces are indis-
tinguishable, Lut at the point Of the bay
onet the conri,ts are once more marshalled
into lines, marched into the inner prison
building and locked supperless in their
cells. The emcute is ended
Out on the stones in the prison yard a
form in striped suit lies stiiTening in a
dark pool. The sullen sky bends dow n to
the dreary stone walla of the enclosure, and
few fakes of snow quiver i'm tbs air,
While the guards are marching he prison.
ers into safe-keeping no one comes to look
at this man, the one victim of the uprising.
but when the insubprdinate conyicts are
safely housed two men bearing stretcher
and third carrying lantern come out to
remove the body. They turn il over, and
the dark blood wells forth from a hole in
the side and reddans the snow sprinkled