Cherokee scout. [volume] (Murphy, N.C.) 188?-1961, 1891-11-10
CoNVI IT'S FREED.
THE MIN8ks GET IN THEIR
WORK AT BRICEVILLE
BY SWOoping Down Upon the Stock.
:. ade and Hberating the ()ccunants.

AT an early nouE friday night an attempt
was made to get through business mes.
sage to Briceville. There was no re.
spouse to the telegraphic signal, Then
the next station, and the next was tried.
until at last Clinton responded. The
operator there: was asked what was the
matter. He looked out in the direction
| of Briceville. and at once replied: II see
| a great light, as of an immense fire, re-
fected In the sky. The wire to Brice-
vile is cut, and I can't call it up"
AT once the suspicion arose, moment
later to be strengthened into conviction
the miners had cut the wires and taken
possession. Intense excitement prevail.
ed. A telegram from Clinton read
''Three thousand miners had gathered
around among the hills during the day.
As darkness came on they gathered in
little parties, these parties joining each
other, until four: parties were formed.
As by preconcerted signal they closed
in Cpon the camp.
They were halted by a guard, but he
was quickly filenced by the command
''There are 81Q00of as here: We have
CONF f0f 6NsfneSs. Calf out your boss at
once and let us settle this affair" By
this time there We're number of the Of
ficers Of the camp on hand. They were
disposed to resist. The discharge of q
thousand shots in the air convinced them
that the call was .serious. The messen-
ger blew policeman's whistle, and, in a
minute, coming in at double. quick,
there were in sight hundreds of brawny,
determined looking men. Not a word
did they say, but they had their Win
A11 III d. ~
the officers stepped out of the way.
The liberators came from every direc-
ton, and, assembled in force, marched
on the stockade. Their first act was 20
blow up the magazine the uprights of
the stockade were knocked off. Then
began q scene which beggals descrip-
tion. The $50 convicts, who had been
awakened by the shots, were terrorized.
They were screaming for mercy, fearing
that the mob intended to kill them. The
miners closed in within circle of about
one. hundred feet from the stockade. A
detail was sent in, and the work of
breaking the shackles began. AS fast as
they we're freed they were told in no un-
certain language, to get out, and it is
needless to say, they skipped out with
alacrity. There was a large quantity of
citizens clothes near by, which many of
them donned. When the last prisoner
was free the torch was applied to the
stockade, which, with the exception of
the north wall and the rifle pit, was re-
duced to ashea. Ten eight-room houses
and large dining hall inside of the en-
closure went In the general confagratiou.
At the lower end of the Coal Greek
stockade the Office building was burned
and the guard t'shacks" demolished.
The interior of the convicts' dining
hall, sleeping room, hospital ward and
kitchen were filled with broken furni-
ture, shattered glass and queensware.
The store Of thezWarden, Jack Chumley,
was rifed, anH about fifteen hundred
dollars worth Of goods taken and de-
stroyed. $3.50
AEOSFER ACCOUNT, -----a-.>e.
The citizens j Bricveille began to hear
squads of men Hassing through the place
ON their way to the stockades between
eight and nine o'clock Friday night.
This was kept up for nearly an hour. It
was about $3.50 O'Clock when 900 men
descended Walden's ridge, approaching
the stockade from the east. They called
upon Warden Cross to deliver them the
keys of the prison. While this was 60
ing on, the magazine was blown up, and
the stockade surrounded by 2,500 men.
Cross gave up the keys, and when the
141 vonvicts were released, they assisted
in burning and destroying the property.
TO THE cHUMLEY NINE.
The attacking party then moved on
the Chumley or Coal Greek stockade, and
a ho1e
five men were sent forward to demand
the surrender of the convicts. The men
kept up continuous volleys from their
Wlnchesters. Only one guard was on
duty, and he lost no time in obeying.
The convfcts were told to go, and many
OF them, as at Briceville, were given citi-
zen's clothes. When the convicts were
liberated they plundeEed ChumleV's store
snd destroyed the stockade furniture.
The Office building was accidentIy set on
fire by the overturning of stove. The
mob then descended to the valley, where
they set off several dynamite bombs, and
fred small cannon they had with them.
The racket occasioned by these dis
charges, together with the explosion of
the ammunition stored at the BricevilIe
stockade, which the fire touched off.
created the impression among non DEE
Elephants that asmall war YVES in progress.
This. however, was not the case. as there
was not single shot fired at any man or
any HpFsau iaaence.
THE PHp1cTs IN GANGS.
Saturday q ia the woods and fields
and railroad cles around the two stock
ades generous streWn with "Ae striped
sIlits OF Their e1sed eonyiefa Convinia