Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-07-25

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CRUSHED UNDER A BLOCK OF STONE.
On another occasion a large block of
stone was being quarried tie wedges had
/ been driven, the wedges applied to throw
| it over on its fiat and the man stood
with the rope in their hands the rooe
was attached to the leyer-and the song
Of 'Yo-ho! yo-hol,' pulled, or rather can't
ed, the stone further and further out
ward.
1t Is generally the rule to drop Jumps of
stone or wood behind the loosened block
being quarried to prevent any accident that
might arise from the slipping of a lever,
but on this occasion as the block seemed TO
move readily nothing was placed behind.
The lever, however wanted a fresh "pur-
chase, but as the block was balancing On
its corner or on its center of gravity. SO to
speak-the guard did dot deem it neces-
sary to get fresh purchase but while the
men held on to the ROPE he told one of
them 10 push it off With bis feet. wbich
be essayed 20 do His pressure lsosened
the lever, which was quic5ly drawn in.
but he had not given the block sufficient
momentum to fall, and before he could re-
Z I'm tae level it fell back aud jammed his
legs into shapeless masses Of flesh and
broken bones
The guard, of course. was reasonable for
this, and was dismis, ed from the govern
ment service. As for the man who lost
his legs, / don't know what become of
him; probably he was compensated in some
way or other
In clearing away the earth before OPEN
ing fresh query men have been buried
by a sudden Landslide.
young convict, daring and who often
dlsregarded orders, on one occasion un.
dermin5d the bank, " so that the super
incumbent earth might fall of its own
gravity. Caution mad no effect on mis-
daring, and he was picking away, when
four or hive tons OF the matter suddenly
collapsed burying him and two Others.
breaking the legs of a fourth and bruising
one or two others.
The buried ones were quick dug out,
but one of them was iifeless The Young
convict himself had Il narrow escape, but
he was tated to die in the c0nyict's garb.
for some eighteen months after the incid-
ent just noted he was taken from his cell to
the hospital corpse
AN ABNORMAL APPETITE.
could not learn what was the cause of
his death. Probably be had accidentIy
poisoned himself, for he would eat all |
manner OF things, from snails and worms
to boot grease and leather.
recollect a rather exciting incident in |
which man received almost fatal in |
juries.
Certain trucks or troileys are used to
carry the excavated earth down a very |
small incline to dumping ground, as well |
as the rubble or refuse matter of the |
quarry.
The attendant Of each Of these trucks
stand on the buffers at the back of tie .
vehicle as it runs along, holding in his /
hand q skid, or piece of wood or iron, 4
wherewlth to scotch the wheel or /
siaken the speed Of the truck before it /
reaches its destination.
On the occasion mentioned the atten- |
dant Of one of the trucks lost control over /
1t and II went with increasing speed /
toward Its dumping ground A veil went /
mp from his fellow conyicts to "skid" the /
wheel and again to jump off. But he
seemed pOwerless to do anything. He |
yalnly tried to insert his skid" in the
wheel, and, before he knew it, he was
pitched headlong over the truck into the
sioplng mass Of broken rock and earth.
the truck following him, rolling over and /
over in its course, striking him with one
OF its wheels as it crushed over him toward
the bottom OF the dump
That was the mos tserious accident Of the
kind | had witnessed, although it often
happened that a truck would get the
mastery Of its attendant, but not to such
an extent as to carry him along with it
over the slope
INCIPIENT sTUTINIEs.
Then another phase Of life arises from
ne lnclpient mutinies that take place
from one cause or another. Ii is some
what peasurablp to even the most model"
prisoner to listen to a crowd of his fellows
singing and shouting in upr0ar when
something has arisen that has Irritated
them.
This something is a varied thing in it,
self. 1t may be a mean and cOwardy
guard IN charge or 1t may mean some
obnoxious order given by the warden. or
It may mean the derision Of some sneak
ing "tTusty who has got one oE his fell
lows into trouble, or 1t may mean the
wMlng If some raw recruit who has got
over his first terror at confinement or il
may mean nothing more or less than the
pun EFltsA J u bHF OF Two IUtoTIlElBieS
who have become DESTROYS of making
things lively for themselves and their
guards.
The ringleaders Of these outbreaks are
sought on; and punishment ia meted out
to them. bat after an innocent man is the
selected culprit The old jailbirds start
the tumult, and knowing the impression
ability Of their fellows, allow these latter
to keep it up, while they lapse into
silence or read their Bibles. and Of course
the guard never suspects any of them If
characterization while thus engaged.
Moreover, they are full Of suggestion, and
being somewhat oouyersant with the men
in the ring, they soon convince the guard
that. say 64s, started the row.
To get fellow prisoner into a
hole is delight to some if not to an
,0nyicts. 1t tighten, their own burdens.
once knew a little trusty" who had
The run Of the corridor. a ,man familiar
1ith the guard who. indeed. thought
great deal of HIM He hal what be
wanted, from the latest newspaper to the