The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-27
CONVICTS REBEL.
A Desperate Fight in tho
Charlest0wn Mass.) Prison.
The Rioters Surprised and Sub
dued by the Police.

A most determined attempt was made
during the afternoon by the convicts Of the
Massachusetts, State Prison at Charlestown
to fire the institution and escape, and but for
the firmness Of Warden Russell and the
promptness Of the Boston police it would have
succeeded. As it was pandemonium reigned
within the prison for half hour, and the
entire city was startled by seeing the patrol
wagons, filled the bluecoats, rushing over the
bridges to Charle:town. Three weeks ago
Sunday, when the Warden read to the men
the act Of the last Legislature compelling
them to submit to the Bertillon system Of
measuring and photographing, dozen or
him to carry out the law. Since that time
the worst characters among the six hundred
convicts have been making trouble. Never
theless the Warden and his officers have
gone on with their measuring and photo.
graphing, and now it Is all done, but the
Warden and his men have been on the qui
vive for an outbreak. At quarter to 8 In.
the afternoon it came.
The harness shop was the scene of the dis.
turbance. In this shop 125 men were at
work. among them the half-dozen despera-
does known to the Boston police as the Alba
ny street gang. These ruffians simultaneously
set up yell and at the same time began
wrecking the interior of the building, hurting
their tools through the windows, smashing,
machinery, etc., all with the hope Of melting
their comrades In the other departments, to
join them in the greatest revolt the prison,
ever knew.
Emissaries ran to the other shops spreading
the spirit OF rebellion and winning recruits,
and meantime the ringleaders started q fire
in their shop. Their object in this was, it
Is evident, to cause the opening Of the
gates to admit the city fire department. and
time almost than it takes to tell it 100 des-
perate prisoners, bowling and brandishing
tmproV1sed weapons Of all sorts, were in
the yard, dashing wildly for the gates. A
large express wagon which was standing in
the yard was seized and pushed rapidly
toward the wall by the mob Of infuriated
convicts. In the excitement it was cap
sized in the pond in the yard.
This means Of assistance to scale the wall
being gone dash was made by the entire
crowd for the various walls. In the frantic
melee which ensued three shots were fired by
one Of the convicts.
At this moment Captain Gaskins and
torty-1re sturdy policemen arrived. The
appearance of this body Of police took the
convicts entirely by surprise. They had
expected a call upon the police, but
we're totally unprepared for such an
onslaught. Armed with clubs and
pistols the police double q,dcked down the
yard. Resistance in the face Of such odds was
not attempted by the rioters, and the re-
volt was over. The patrol wagons from six
police stations rolled up in rapid succession,
each bringing a sergeant and ten men, so that
within quarters Of an hour from the
outbreak hundred armed men had rein.
forced the prison garrison. The mob
was surrounded and then man by
to to- their cells and locked up. Later
afty-eight Of them were sent down to the
dungeons where with twenty who had gone
there before the revolt they will subsist for
the next five days on bread and water. The
others will have 10 continue as they are for
the dungeons are all filed.
Warden Russell feels proud Of his success,
and says the moral effect upon the prisoners
Of 80 sudden an invasion OF a large body Of
police has been marvellous. He anticipated
no further trouble.