The sun., 1897-05-31
700 CONVICTS IN REVOLT.
PRISONERS At SAN QUENTIN JOIN
IN AN ALL-DAT RACKET

Locked In Their Cells. They Raise the Roof
with Their shrieks Every Ten Minutes
Many Are on n Bread and water Diet and
the Warden Says ne VIII starvo Them Out.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 30.-All day the usual
Sunday quiet Of San Quentin Prison has been
brokon every ten minutes by hammering on tho
iron doors and shrieks, screams and curses
from nearly 700 convicts In dungeons and cells,
whom tho Warden is trying 10 subdue on q
bread and water diet Thus far tho Warden
has refused to permit the use of the water hose
or any other form of severe punishment, but
this afternoon he gave orders that any convict
who showed his face at the grating should be
shot down, and file of guards nearly all the
afternoon stood with winchesters in hand
ready to carry out the order.
Tho system of communication seems to be
perfect among the prisoners, and to-day they
decided to make demonstration every ten min.
utes. This consisted of shouts and beating with
chains and irons on tho doors, making tre-
mendous uproar which can be heard for half
mile outside the prison. This will be kept up oil
night, and what makes it worse Is that the pris-
oners who have been put on bread and water
Joined in the demonstration.
1t Is even said that the strike among the con-
victs will spread tomorrow, and that the sixty
men employed in the tailor shops will refuse to
work, while all the remaining hands who were
weaving jute bags in the big mill declare that IL
they are ordered out to work they will smash
the machinery.
Seventy Of tho ringleaders who began the
strike are In the tanks and are fed only once
day on bread and water, while seventy others
are in the dungeons, getting two meals OF the
Same light diet. The other $50 are In cells on
three meals The mutineers depend for the sue
cess Of their revolt upon the other convicts. and
to-day this exhibition of the sympathy of the
other prisoners was shown.
After dinner many convicts concealed meat
and potatoes in their pockets. and when passing
by the cells of the mutineers tossed food
through the wickcts. The scheme is to continue
the uproar in the prison until the Prison Com
missioners remove the Warden as incompetent.
out wiz IL be
duced Tomorrow, and will be less every day.
He declares that he hasthe men under snbjection.
but the other officials are not so sanguine. The
latter say this continual uproar and excitement
Is sure to arouse the ugly passions OF well-be-
moment of a violent and bloody outbreak which
the small body Of guards could not quell. This
danger intensified by the fact that SO many Of
the worst convicts are confirmed opium fiends
who become insane when deprived Of the drug
Saa
a raid and an outbreak. The plot was to cap
ture Ensineer Young Of the jute mil. who is an
ne was to be murdered. Some Of the leading
conspirators even went so far as to plan the out.
break in detail. They had agreed to wait until
victs were in the yard and then make a break
when favorable opportunity was afforded. Be-
fore the plan could be carried out Warden Halo
had checkmated the conspirators by locking up
all the convicts. It was this move that un-
doubtedly prevented bloodshed and riot at San
Quentin.
The leading oonspirators in tho revolt include
John MoDermott, the desperate robber who is
under sehtence for twenty years; % One Armed " "
Bassett not notorious thief and @ @agitatori KID a. ="
negro robbcr; Jack O'Neal the Sacramento
diamond robber. under sentence for thirty
Cute Dunbar, serving ten years sentence
for beating man nearly to death. and Oliver
napping Honolulu millionaire and torturing
him In an empty house to mako him yield up
large ransom.