Evening journal., 1889-04-18
REVOLT OF PRISONERS.
Five Criminals Escape from a
Jail in Canada.
THREE KEEPERs SERIOUSLY HURT

The ofiolais Overpowered After a Terri
BILE Struggle and Their Revolvers Taken
Away from Them--Two of the Despera-
does Recaptured.
MONTREAL, April lS.--Ths prisoners In the
Jail 1T st. Joseph do La Beauce, half way be-
tween Montreal and Quebec, revoIted Tues
day night, shot down Jailer Godbout and
sergt. Harpe, Of the provincial police; over
powered bound and seriously mntreated
three keepers, and then Ave Of the couvicts
made good their escape The jail, which is a
large three story wooden building, is not at
all suited for Jail purposes but being the
only prison IN the county il contained
about twenty-five criminals undergoing
short terms Of imprisonment, besides sew
eral prisoners awaiting trial az the ap-
preaching assizes, among whom were the
brothers Napoleon and Victor Giroux, ar
rested on suspicion Of being the desperadoes
who recently broke into the presbytery Of
St Frederic parish and robbed Father Mar
tin Of large sum Of money under throat Of
murder; the brothers Jaques and Joseph
Paulin, accused Of arson, and Antoine Ma
laise, accused Of assaulting a young girl
These five are all known 70 the Canadian
police as oldpenitentiarT birds and daring
and dangerous criminals
Plotting the Escape.
Besides Jailer Godbout, three guards were
employed, and for the past week they were
assisted by Sergt Harpe, OF the provincial
police who was out in Beauca working up
evidence against the accused Tuesday af-
ternoon Victor Giroux was permitted % do
soend to the iail yard, whore the regular
prisoners were employed at work. 1t was
noticed that be spoke to several OF the prison.
ess, and also that he entered the carpenters
shop He quietly returned, however, to the
large apartment in the second story, whore
those awaiting trial were confined. Every
thing was then quiet until half past O'clock,
when the ordinary prisoners were turned in
for the night Seven OF them were ia cells
ON the same fiat as the trial room, but, A. ussI-
al were nos locked up until after supper.
At 6o'clock Keeper Leblanc accompanied
by two prisoners, entered the ward toI dis
tribute the supper, but no sooner had the
keeper turned to lock the door through which
be entered than he was felled TO the ground
by blow on .he head from small iron bar
IN the hands cf Maaise, which 40 doubt had
been brought up by Giroux when be re-
turned from the yard, and with which they
had forced open the door of the room in which
they were confined The keys were then
taken from the insensible and bleeding
keeper, and one Of the supper carriers was
sent Gown 70 say he had fallen IN fit.
A Terrible struggle.
The remaining keepers hurried 70 the ward,
but were not well within the door when they
wero sayagely assaulted by the five daspera-
does. The ordinary prisoners took no part
in the terrible struggle which ensued The
unfortunate keepers made gallant but in
eifectunl fight, and were soon overpowered
by the desperadoes, who beat their heads and
faces almost TO jelly, and then handcuffed
them with their own irons. They then took
the revolvers which the keepers, owing to the
suddenness Of the attack, had been unable 70
use, and accompanied by two ordinary pris-
oners, the five made a da n for liberty
At the foot Of the first landing they en-
countered the iailer and Sergeant Harpe,
who had heard the noise and were hulrying
20 the scene Both officers grasped the situa-
ton and fired on the conviots The fire was
Intellectual, but IL frightened the ordinaries,
who fed to their cells. The others, however,
returned the fire, and the iaier was slightly
and Harpe seriously wounded The five men
then made good their escape.
The jailer's young daughter gave the alarm
in The village. and several villagers ran 70
the Jail and assisted the injured officials in
securing the rest Of the prisoners Intelli.
gence OF the affair was then wired to Quebec
and Montreal, and a strong posse Of pro
vincal police started for the scene. The
Giroux brothers have been recaptured in ths
woods seven miles from the village The
pciice are on the track Of the other thre.
| fuEitives