The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-23
A FIGHT WITH CONVICTS
DESPERATE BREAK FOR LIBERTY
AT COLE CITY.

rwo Guards and Convict Killed
Three Other Convicts Mortally
Wounded - Bank Robber Ward
Among the Number-Ward's Career
In this City and Florida.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN, June 22.-This
morning in the convict camp at Cole City,
"a. desperate break for liberty was made
~ seven prisoners. They went to work as
usual at 6 o'clock. and in less than fifteen
minutes made an attack on the guards, ,hav-
ug previously overpowered two having
irect charge over them. They made a
,ush for the gates, which had been left open
Tor them to enter.
LED BY BANK RoBBER WARD.
They were led by noted convict named
John Ward, bank robber who led a like
,ttempt and escaped from the camp at rising
Fawu, Ga. He was recaptured in Canada
and brought to Cole City He was fatally
wounded. A comrade named LangdelI was
tlled, and two others, Palmer twhite) and
Jackson (coloredD were mortally hurt. Pat
Rowland and Jack Rankin, guards, we're
Killed, and Foreman Moreland was seri-
Dusly injured.
THREE ESCAPE.
Three prisoners escaped. but one has
llready been caught A reward of 5000
zach is offered for the others.
There are about 700 convicts at work IN
he Cole City mines, and mutiny among
Them would be very serious affair. All is
quiet.
Cole City is in the mountains, and tele-
graphic communication is cut off. The
lead convicts will be sent to Atlanta. Cot
dns were brought here to-day for the
guards who were killed.
SEVEN IN THE GANG.
There were seven convicts in the party
that attempted to escape. They were all
armed when they overpowered the guards,
having secured their guns. The guards
they killed were Pat Rowland and Jack
RankinS. The wounded foreman is Capt.
Moreland. He is seriously hurt. The two
,onvicts at large are negroes.
WARDS WORK AT SAVANNAH.
Ward robbed Davis Bros store at
Savannah, and his case cut quite figure
in police court circles in that city at the
time.
Ward also figured extensively at jackson
vile and st. Augustine. Fla, where he
married aud was a high roller generally.
At Savannah mistaken identity led to the
arrest of man supposed to be Ward, and
\ treat to sue the city for heavy damages
The woman Ward married in Florida Sc
cured divorce after his conviction and re-
moved to Savannah, where she REMARKED
aud is now living.
Ward was convicted at Savannah of safe
blowing, and sentenced by Judge Adams to
serve fifteen years in the penitentiary.
THE ATTACK ON THE WARDEN.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN, June %, 1P. NJ
Fuller details from the Cole City convict
camp, where the uprising occurred this
morning, record one of the most daring
breaks for liberty ever attempted in Gsor-
eia. At o'clock Capt. j. III. Moreland, as
sstant warden of the slope camp. went into
the stockade where 200 convicts
were confined. He was accompanied by
Jesse Ranken, night guard. After the
convlcts had been counted and majority
sent off to the coal mines, seven asked to
remain behind in order to be furnished with
overalls, claiming that they had been in a
wet place in the mines The seven were
J. NJ. Landsdowne and S. H. Landsdowne,
tnther and sou; Sam Green, Wilson Palmer,
John Rutherford, Abe Wayman and George
Ward.
BOTH OFFICERS OvERPowERED.
As the assistant warden started for the
gate Wilson Palmer. a burly white convict
serving his time for safe blowing, drew a
revolver and ordered the officers hands up.
After relieving the officer of his pistol Pal
mer fired his revolver within a foot of the
ofhcers face, inhicting a fatal wound.
uuard Rankin, in the meantime, had been
overpowered, but, struggling to his feet,
managed to escape by knocking down
RUSH FOR THE OFFICE.
The seven desperate men made rush for
capt. Moreland's Office where they knew
tne arms were kept. They secured doub-
!e-parreled shotgun and barricaded
1he door. By this time the
guards were aroused and general
Iasil!ade ensued. resulting in the death of
rat hawlin and Jack Rankins. two guards,
ana of Sam Green, Wilson Palmer and
george Ward. While the firing was in
progress Abe Waynan and John Ruther
Ioro made break from the Office and sue
ceeded in escaping. How the convicts So
SuTeC OiGtAl 10 NOT knnWn