River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-11-05
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BAD MEN AT LARGE.


The Oliver Springs Prison stocksds
Raided and Burned and Its Inmates
Freed.
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 3O5 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 260 at the latter place. So far
461 criminals have suddenly been
freed, given citizens clothing and aid
ed 70 make their escape, most of them
into Kentucky. Concerning the rumors
of a contemplated attack upon the
Tracy City and Inman prison the in
formation received by Mr.. f. Il.
Wade, superintendent of prisons,
who is now at Knoxville, was
such as to cause him to tele-
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
be increased.
The mines at Oliver Springs have
been operated by the Cum berland Coal
Company, which, fearing trouble,
placed extra guards on duty. but as
was the case at Briceville and Coal
Creek but little or no resistance APP
pears to have been made when 200
armed and mounted men rode up to the
stockade at / o'clock Monday morn
ing and demanded that the
prisoners be turned over to
them. The night was dark, and
for a time there was great con-
fusion at the stockade. men hurrying
hither and thitLer. Upon getting pos
session of the stockade the mob quick
ly released all of the convicts, and after
with citizens clothing ordered them to
leave at once. The order was obeyed
without hesitation, the convicts fleeing
in every direction. The mob then set
fire to the buildings and in a few
moments dense volumes of smoke
curled up and made the heavens black
er. Then came the flames and speedily
the country for miles around was
lighted up by the burning pile. The
mob gloating over their nights work,
yelled and fired their guns and pistols
and after while rode away, and be-
fore day dawned had separated, each
going his own way. In the meantime
the convicts were far away, many hav-
ing crossed the Kentucky line, while
the remainder had scattered like sheep.
The Columbia Coal Company esti-
mate their loss by the destruction of
property at 5000, without dollar of
insurance. The company. like those
at Briceville and Coal Creek, had been
expecting trouble until the recent
meeting of the miners at Briceville, at
which time the miners had apparently
concluded to give up the contest and
make strong appeal to the next legis-
lature to abolish the lease system
After the attack on the Briceville and
Coal Creek prisons the guards were
strengthened. but the miners had de-
termined to finish the work in that
portion of east Tennessee. and accord
ingly moved on Oliver Springs with
the result stated. The lessees of the
convicts have refused to pay the usu;.i
chr al.
capped convicts on the ground
that they did not escape but
were forcibly released. Mr.. Bax-
ter. president of the Tennessee
Coal, Iron & Railroad Company, the
lessces of the convicts, said in regard
to the best mode of settling the trouble,
that he did not see what the governor
could do but use his utmost endeovors
to recapture the convicts and bring to
justice the participants in the riots.
The state board of prison inspectors
has received a dispatch stating that a
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 SIS for the capture of each of the
convicts that have escaped and s., 900
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 insurrection the
large offer will 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. II is
said that a deputy sheriff in that
county who took two escaped conyicts
into custody were overtaken by a bum
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-