The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1893-11-04
FEDERAL PRISONERS ATTEMPT
TO SLAY THEIR JAILOR.
PLANS FOILED BY A FELLOW PRISONER,
story 0fa Deepiaid Plot. Hatched by Pris.
oners at the United states jail, who
Proposed to Murder the Jailor aud
Thereby Erec, "a Wholesale De
ivery-Frustrated by Pris-
oner william Smith.

The story of damnable conspiracy
among the prisoners in the United
States Jail came TO light in distric,
court yesterday when Prisoner Will.
lam Smith was arraigned for sentence
for stealing horses and selling whisky Y
in the Usage country. For his crime
Smith was fully entitled to inearcera.
tion in the penitentiaIy for fifteen
months or more, but on account OF
the role he played in the plot hatched
by his fellow prisoners. the court
made his sentence as light as possible,
sentencing him to but five months
Imprisonment in the federal bastile.
Although the role of an informer is
considered most cowardly and de bas
iag, in this instance, at least it was a
brave and noble one, in that it pre-.
served n life and prevented the whole
sale escape of scores of hardened and
murderous criminals
! a few days previous to the opening
of the Cherokee strip ten prisoners
confined in the federal Jail in this city
grew eager and inpatient They
wanted to see the rush for homes.
They wanted to be on an equal foot
ing with the rest of unrestrained man
kind and take hand in the great
handicap event over the plains of the
new Oklahoma.
But this eagerness and anxiety
avalled them nothing. They were be-
Find stout prison walls and all hope
of seeing and participating in the rush
was of necessity abandoned.
1t was then that n plot was hatched
"a plot which had for its
denoument violence and bloodshcd
The old and hardened criminals put
their heads together, and while the
vigilance of the prison officials was
momentarily relaxed, they concocted
conspiracy, whereby Jailor McGin
was to be murdered and wholesale
delivery of prisoners effected.
In the rear of the Jail building is
located what is commonly known as
the "buil PEN" In this pen the pris-
oners are congregated during the day.
Directly in front of the "bull pen" are
the cells and corridors. Every morn
ing the prisoners are marched past the
jailor to the "bull pen" and returned
to the cells in the evening
The plCt concocted was simple
enough. According to the plans the
prisoners were to linger in the bull
PEN when called at night, the ring
leaders only coming out. As the latter
reached the jaiior signal was to he
given, when they would orelpower the
iailor and unbolt the prison doors.
The signal was to be violin music and
dancing. The grand rush OF the men
in the bull pen" was then to take
place, each man to strike the Tailor as
he rushed to liberty, The plan was
feasible and could have been success
fully worked. Prisoner Smith, as well
as number of other men confined in
the Jail, refused TO join the conspiracy.
and few hours previous to the con-
templated murder and delivery he
frustrated the plot by Informing Jailor
McGll OF the mutiny For this,
Smith has been given, and justly, too,
a light sentence. Had the couspir-
acy proved successful there would
have been a new face in the Office of
jailor now and many villainous crimi-
nails would be terrorizing the country.