The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-11-06
ANOTHER MOB.
State C0nyict< Released and Provided
with ClOihing TO Escape.

\ mob of three thousand miners
swamped down upon BriceViile ana
Coal Geek last Saturday, released the
cnIiVIctS working in the coal mines
about 80 in number-luThlssneu s InG,a tha
with citizens clothes, set hre TO the
destroyed a go0d deal Oh
other private property, and went OH
their way rejoicing.
The BriceVille stOckade, with the eX-
cention of the north wall and the rifle
nit. was burned. Ten eight-roOm
houses and a large dining hall inside OF
the enclosure went in the general con-
tiagratiOn.
At the lower end of the Coal Creek
stockade the office building was burned
and the guard "shacks". demolished.
The interior of the cOnvicts' dining
hall, sleeping-roOm, hospital, ward ana
Kitchen were filled with broken furnl-
ture, shattered glass and queeLlSIM ai .;
The store of Warden Jack Chumiey at
this point was rified and about Sl,0uO
worth of goods taken and destroyed
The citizens in Briceville began to
hear squads of men passing thTougn
the place on their way to the stockades
between S and o'clock Friday night.
This was kept up for nearly an hour.
1t was about 9:30 when 200 men de-
scended Walden's Ridge, approaching
the stockade from the the east as deiivsy iney
them the keys of the prison.
While this was going on the maga-
zine was blown up and the stockade
surrounded by $500 men. Grass gave
M the KEYS and when the al cOnVlctS
were released they assisted IN burning
and destroying the property
The attacking party then moved on
the Chumley or Coal Creek stooKaue'
and a halt was made near there
Twenty-Five men were sent forward to
demand the surrender of the conVicts.
The men kept up continuous ,VoIleys
from their Winohesters, Only one
guard was on duty, and he lost no tln1e
in sbeying. The conVicts were toid 10
20, and many of them, as at Rrioevliie,
were given citizens clothes, When the
conyiOts were liberated they plundered
| Chumley's store and destroyed the
| stockade furniture, The office building
was set on fire by the overturnlng OF
| stove.
The mob then descended to tEe val
lev, where they set off several dyna-
| mite bombs and fired small cannon
they had with them. The racket occa-
! stoned bY these discharges, together
| with the explosion of the ammunition
stored at the Brinceville stockade
which the fire touched off, created the
impression among non-partIclpants
| that a small war was in progress. Ihls
however, was not the case, as there was
not a single shot fired at any man OF
anV personal violence.
| The woods and fields and railroad
tracks around the stOckades were gen,
erouslv strewn with the striped suits oi
the released cOnviots. OonvIcts IN
gangs of tens and twenties were wan
dering all over the surrounding coun
try. One convict arrived at small SET
clement near Coal Creek who was still
in his stripes and he was quickly sem
on his way rejoicing.
Whenever they asked for help it was
freely given them by the natives.
William Tarwater, white, ana mos
Helen and Oscar Burton, cOlored, wen
to Knoxville from Coal Creek and gave
themselves up to the police and were
jailed. o.
Mining Company, whose stockade was
the first attacked, was asked to-day
| what he proposed to do. He says mat
ters were in such shape at present tina
he could give no definite information
but he thought he would hold the State
TO its contracts.
Hunter, telegraphed Governor Buch
anan as follows: "Me and 100 OF us
who was working at BriceVllle, wa
turned loose last night by miners
They burned up everything then. w
are loose at Clinton together. Wha
+ shall | dO2"
At the first appearance of trouble tn
Sheriff deserted his post and lied ike
coward.
REWARDS OFFERED.
Governor Buchanan went to the sea
of war Sunday, and issued the follow
> SWhereas, it is provided by sectio
2 10. chapter 2OI of the acts OF 1889, tina
the iessees of the penitentiaty on the es
g cape of any convict shall be Liable l
Q nav such reward as the Governor ma
= offer, not to exceed $25 for each conVlc
e and all the expenses otherwise INQUIRE
a Including advertising) in the captur
e and delivery of such prisoners to I'd
: State and its officers; now, therefore,
e John p. Buchanan, Governor OF u
II state of Tennessee, do hereby o1ter
g reward of S25 for each convict recenti
|. ESCAPED from the branch prisons
r Anderson County and their delivery
:. the Warden of the main prison at Nasl
d Vile. which sum shall he PAID as T
q Guired by law by said lessees.
: In witness whereof the great seal
e the State is affixed.
l. JOHN P. BUCHANAN, Governor.
This, second day of November, 1871
n PROCLAMATION.
y Whereas, an armed mob has owe
- nowered the wardens and guards al
a set at liberty State convicts connneu
- the stockades in Anderson County al