Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-11-05
BAD MEN AT LARGE.
Nearly 500 Convicts Have Been Turned
Loose by the Miners in Tennessee.

4NCdEAt oOu NouNiCAS nave Betn AuFnts0
Loose by the Miners in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, Nov 1.-The
state of Tennessee is confronted by the
most serious situation of any in many
years. East Tennessee miners, aided
by miners from Kentucky not only
have released the sos convicts at the
Briceville and Coal Creek branch
prisons and burned the stockade
at the former place, but increased
the gravity of the offense Mon
day by setting free the 155 convicts
at the Oliver Springs branch prison
and laying the stockades, hospital and
other buildings in ashes. Not content
with this defiance of the law, they talk
of attacking the branch prisons at
Tracy City and Inman and setting
free the 422 convicts at the former
and the 26O at the latter place. So far
46l criminals have suddenly been
freed, given citizens clothing and aid
ed to make their escape. most of them
into Kentucky. Concerning the rumors
of contemplated attack upon the
Tracy City and Inman prison the in
formation received by Mr. E. b.
Wade, superintendent of prisons,
who is now at Knoxville, was
such as to cause him to te, =
graph the state board of prison
inspectors and ask for authority to en-
ploy extra guards at these places
The board met and promptly granted
the desired authority, and the forces
at Tracy City and Inman will at once
hD ir1opDucaH Tho OF NH apfffan
have been warned by the experience
at Briceville Coal Creek and Oliver
Springs, and it is presumed they will
make every effort to prevent repeti-
tion of the disgraceful scenes that have
occurred within few days.
The state board of prison inspectors
has received dispatch stating that
large majority of the convicts had es-
capped into Kentucky, but that eight
had been arrested and started to Nash
vile.
Gov. Buchanan has offered reward
of S25 for the capture of each of the
convicts that have escaped and $1,000
for the arrest and conviction of the
leaders in the releasing of the convicts
and the destruction Of property.
1t is supposed that in addition
to the Tennessee detectives who
will endeavor to effect the capture
of the leaders in the instruction the
large offer viii induce some of the
most skillful officers in other states to
engage in the dangerous work That
it will be attended with danger there
can be no doubt, as the leaders are
backed by thousands of miners and
sympathizers. Besides the reward of
fered for the leaders there is also one
of $3.50 each for the apprehension and
conviction of men participating in the
recent riots.
The fact that the work of arresting
these men will be exceedingly haz-
ardous is shown by news received
from Campbell county Monday. 1t IS
said that a deputy sheriff in that
county who took two escaped convicts
into custody were overtaxen by num-
Der of men, supposed to be miners
from Newcomb who released the con-
victs and took away the deputy sheriff,
since which time nothing has been
seen or heard of him, and the suppo-
sition is that he met with foul play.
LOUISVILLE, KY, Nov. 4.-Twenty-
seven released Tennessee convicts have
been apprehended in Kentucky. Three
were captured at Mount Vernon, three
at marlborough and twenty-one at
Somerset A gang of ten passed
through Bowling Green, but the sher-
if said that the reward was too small
and he would not arrest them.
JASPER, Tenn, Nov. Airs. Davis
wife of one of the convict guards at In
man, where is located one of the largest
convict camps in the state, committed
suicide Monday morning. She blew
her brains out with a shotgun. She
left a note to her husband saying that
she had rather be dead than to be liv-
ing with him. There is some mystery
about the matter, and it is believed the
inhumanity of convict labor bore
heavily an her mind.