Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-11-05
CONFLICTS TURNED LOOSE,

About $50 Prisoners Set at Liberty--The
Miners Provide Them With Clothing
and Firsarins--They Aid in the Escape
of Others and Then Depart--The Affair
was Very Secretly Engineered--Gove
nor Buchanan Notified.
CHATTANOOGA, TENN, Oct. 3l.--De-
moralzed wires make it difficult to reach
mountain stations in the vicinity of Brice-
vile. The telegraph operators at Clinton
report at 100 a. m, that heavy firing Is
going on at Briceville. He says that the
conyicts in the prison were released at 9
O'Clock by miners.
The convicts were given citizens clothes
to enable them to conceal their identity,
and those who would take firearms were
furnished with weapons.
He says if any fatalities have occurred
the news has not reached his office. The
stockade and three other buildings were
burned.
Clinton is only few miles from Brice-
vile, but the wires have been cut between
the two places. N r
The following special has just been re-
ceived from Knoxville. "A gentleman
Just from Briceville confirms the reports
of the release of the convicts and 5000
miners surrounded the stockade and the
guards gaze up, The miners swere sur
rounding the Columbus stockade when he
left there. They were armed with Win
chesters. No one had been killed, One
hundred and forty-one convicts were re-
leased.
SzU CoNvIcTs RELEAsFD-No LIVES LOST
GUARDS MADE NO RESISTANCE.
KNOXVILLE, TENN, Oct 3l.-3.l5a. NJ
Wires are down between Clinton and Coal
Creek, and it is very difficult to obtain ac-
curate information. Beyond doubt the
stockades of the Tennessee Mining Com
pany, at Briceville, and of the Knoxville
Iron Company, at Coal Creek, have been
burned.
The conyicts employed in these mines 10
the number Of 800 have been released and
are now at large. Most of them are re-
ported to have gone towards the Kentucky
line. 1t has been ascertained that large
numbers of suits of citizens cloths were
purchased several days ago and it is now
certain that they were for the use of the
discharged convicts, whose escape would
be facilitated by discarding their striped
clothing
The greatest excitement prevails in the
surrounding country owing to the conyicts
being at large in such large numbers and
the further trouble that is anticipated in
any effort that may be made to enforce
u
The guards at the stockade made no re-
sistance feeling that it was useless. 1t is
believed here that no lives were lost.
THE GOVERNOR OFFICIALLY NOTIFIED.
CHATTANOOGA, Oct. 3l.-Adyices from
Brlceyille at 4 u. m. state that the stockade
was attacked from all sides. the magazines
blown up, the stockade demolished and
the convicts released. The latter yollln-
teered to assist their liberators in an attack
on the Chumless stockade at Thistle near
Coal creek. The guards at Chumless had
been apprsed add we're prepared against
surprise. Bon-fires had been placed around
the stockade and continuous firing was
kept up.
The telegraph office at Coal creek is in
possession of the miners and no news is
obtainable. Governor Buchanan has been
officially notified The attack was made
on the Briceville stockade SIX miles from
Coal creek, first, then the allies moved on
Chumless. The casualties are unknown.
NO IMMEDIATE TROUBLE ANTICIPATED.
KNOXVILLE, Oct. 3l.--The guards who
have been in charge of the stockade at
Briceville have Just arrived. The stockade
at that place was burned as reported last
night. phe one at Coal creek belonging to
the KNOXVILLE Iron Company was not
burned but the conyicts employed in it
were released and all are at large. The
arms of the guards were all captured with
trifiing opposition. No resistance was
made and consequently no blood shed
The miners who effected the release
seem to have acted with the greatest
secrecy showing a perfect organization
There were no outward conditions of i'm
mediate action and people were beginning
to believe that the matter would be left to
the courts for settlement The act Of the
miners seems to be surprise to the citi-
zens in the vicinity of Briceville. Those
who in defiance of law released the con-
yicts required to the stockade soon after
dark, gave their orders and the work was
dene, All is quiet al the mines this morn
ing and no immediate trouble need be
anticipated.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, Nov. 2.-At / d clock
this morning 80 mounted men came in
from the mountains and liberated the 200
conviots worked in the mines at Oliver
Springs. So quietly was it done that the
people OF the town knew nothing about
what had happened until @ o'clock this
morning, when they discovered that the
stookade of the lessees was mass of smok-
ing ruins.
All Of the short term prisoners were fur
nished with citizens clothing, and with the
exception OF q few who were captured, all
are now at large. This makes more than
800 that are already released since Friday.
The governor Of the state was here yes
terday, but left this morning for Nashville.
1t was given out after his arrival here that
the force of guards Mt Oliver had been
largely increased, and that an attack upon
the stockades would be stoutly resisted.
1t does not appear, however, that there
was any resistance at all, and no one was
hurt.
The widest rumors prevail one Of which
is that the miners will Immediately pro
coed to Tracey City and release the con
yicts there. There is now no well-founded
evidence of this but no one can tell what
the end is to be.