Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-01
FREED THE CONVICTS.
The Tennessee Miners Had Things
Their Own Way Friday Night.
THEY MADE PLENTY OF NOISE.
Considerable Property Destroyed, but No
Lives Were Lost.
C0NvICTS SCATTERED IN THE HILLS

KNOXVILLE, Oct. 31.-A reporter has
just returned from Briceville and Coal
Creek. Groups of men could be seen every
where discussing the event of last night.
The Briceville stockade, with the exception
of the north wall, and the rifle pit were
burned Ten eight-room houses and large
dining hall inside of the inclosure went in
the general confagration. -.
At the lower end of the Coal creek stock
ade the Office building was burned and the
guard "shacks" demolished The interior
of the convicts' dinning hall, sleeping room,
hospital ward and kitchen were filled with
broken furniture and shattered glass and
queensware. The stor. of Warden Jack
Chumley at this point was rifed and about
81, 800 of goods taken and destoyed.
The citizens of Briceville began to hear
squads of men passing through the place on
their way to the stockades between and 9
o'clock Friday night. This kept up for
nearly an hour. It was about $50 o'clock
when 200 men descended Waldens ride ap-
preaching the stockade from the east. They
called upon Warden Cross to deliver the
keys of the prison.
While this was going on, the magazine
was blown up and the stocks surrounded by
$500 men, and Cross gave up the keys. and
when the al convicts we're released they
assisted in burning and destroying the prop
erty. The attacking party then moved on
the Chumley, or Coal Creek stockade, and
halt was made near there and 25 men were
sent forward to demand the surrender of
the convicts. The men kept up continuous
volleys from their Winchesters. Only one
guard was on duty and he lost no time in
obeying. The convicts were told to 60,
and many of them at Briceville were given
citizens clothing.
When the convicts were liberated they
plundered Chumley's store and destroyed
the stockade furniture. The Office building
was set on fire by the overturning of the
stove. The mob then descended to the val
ley, where they set off several dynamite
bombs and fred small cannon they had
with them. The racket occasioned by these
discharges, together with the explosion of
the ammunition stored AZ the Briceville
stockade, which the fire touched off, created
the impression among non-participants that
a small war was in progress This, how
ever, was not the case, as there was not
single shot fired at any man.
Inc COuntry covered WIN Stflpes.
The woods and fields and railroad tracks
surrounding the two stockades were gener-
ously strewn with the striped suits of the
released convicts Convicts in gangs of
tens and twenties were yesterday wander
ing all over the country. One convict ar
rived at small settlement near Coal Creek
to-day who was still in his stripes, and he
was quickly sent on his way rejoicing.
Several gangs have been seen at various
points along the Mobile and Ohio yester-
day. Whenever they asked for help it was
freely given by the natives. A citizen of Coal
Creek pointed out group OF men to the re-
porter, remarking that the men are not of
this place. but when asked where they came
from the citizen shut up like clam. At
another time they were told that one of
group he had been conversing with was an
escaped convict, but further and more def
mite information was refused.
A dispatch from Oliver Springs says that
while everything is quiet there, the people
look for the miners to come there to release
220 convict miners confined at that point.