Huntsville gazette., 1891-11-07
MORE CONVICTS RELEASED.
One Hundred and Fifty Set Free al
Oliver Springs, Tenn.
Lawicss Deeds by Lawless Men in a Law
loss Community-Oyer 500 Criminals
Turned Loose on Society I'M
checked and Unhampcred.

ment had about abated in this city over
! the recent lawless and anarchistic acts
OF the miners at Briceville, when it was
again raised to its highest pitch by the
report of the release of the convicts at
Oliver Springs
Sunday in Knoxville was nothing out
of the ordinary, save from the fact that
Gov. Buchanan was in town and his
Headquarters beseiged with 500 or more
| persons who were anxious to see him.
All he did while here was the issuing
of two proclamations Offering $1,000 for
the CAPTURE of the ring leaders and $3.50
| additional for the capture and conviction
| Of every miner who took part in the re-
cent riots at Briceville and Coal Creek
Saturday morning which resulted in
the release of 305 convicts.
| The Governor left this morning for
Nashville at 6:30, unaware of the sub
sequert lawless acts that had per-
petrated while he slept and dreamed of
a possible solution of. the much-veXed
question.
The first intelligence of any mob at
divers was conveyed by the following
dispatch received at o'clock this morn
| ing:
''About 1:20 this morning over 200
mounted men, thoroughly organized and
armed, took possession of our convict
camp, Immediately released all the con-
victs, burned the stockade wing, hos
pital, dinning room and boarding house.
But few of the long term men were
furnished with citizens clothing. Nine
Of the hospital inmates and short term
men were captured and one has just
come in and given himself up. So
quietly was it done that but few knew
anything about it until after o'clock
this morning. No one was hurt as far
as known and all is quiet here now"
Quietly and without warning the de-
termined miners and their sympathizers
began to meet in the mountains after
dusk Sunday night. They laid the
plans for their assault. which was so
successfully carried out at o'clock this
morning.
In the stockade we're 156 prisoners,
the majority of whom were colored.
When all was motionless inside the
| stockade the men advanced and COM
plett ly surrounded it. Entrance to the
stoclkade where the convicts were was
easily secured, and about o'clock the
entire lot, with the exception of about
dozen sick, crippled and trusty convicts,
were released. They were in turn as
they left the prison given citizens
clothes and told to get out. The miners
and their friends entered the stockade,
and in a short time the prison was ablaze
and 10 luced to ashes. As the flames lit
up the surrounding hills and the con-
victs fed, the releasing party dispersed,
and it was nearly daylight this morning
before the work was entirely completed.
All of the above was accomplished with
out the slightest loss of blood. Out Of
the entire lot Of convicts released some
eight of them, who were mostly TRUSTEES,
were returned by the guards. They
were brought to the city this morning
by the guards and placed in the Knox
County jail.
The damage to the property OF the
Cumberland Coal Company by fire this
morning is SIS, coo, with no insurance.
/ The following special received from
Oliver Springs tonight gives an account
OF how the Job was carried out: ''The
sun never set on a more quiet and peace
full little town than was Oliver Springs
yesterday evening. 1t was an ideal
autumn evening, and all of our people
were either attending the churches or
out for pleasant stroll, little dreaming
that on the morrow 200 convicts would
be turned loose upon US, property to the
value OF thousands of dollars destroyed
and the convict problem solved so far as
the present is concerned. Everything
was quiet up to II o'clock, when those
living on or near the road leading up to
the mines were awakened by troop of
horsemen passing toward the Cumber
land Coal Mining Company's mines,
where over 200 convicts were quartered.
The horses were secured and one or two
men pressed in as pilots and the march
taken up, gaining strength as it went
arriving at Inc SUUCkduc dumit1dAOc
was demanded, and the demand not
being acceded to as quickly as desired,
quite a number of shots were fired into
the air and sledge brought into play,
when the keeper hustled and opened the
gate Immediately the convicts, who
had already gotten up and dressed, were
marched out by twos, and the torch ap
piled to the buildings inside, which de-
stroyed the greater portion OF the
walls, and the boardinghouse. which is
located just outside. The officers OF the
coal company begged the leaders to
spare the stockade buildings, pledging
that the convicts should never be put
back. and that they would employ only
free miners, but this was not accepted
as coming in good faith, and fire was
applied The crowd treated everybody
as kindly as though they were neigh
bors on a friendly visit. Everything is
now quiet. witA no indications OF ths
| past trouble"