The record-union., 1897-05-31

SAN FRANCISCO, May 3O.-The riot
Gus convicts in the San Quentin penlten-
tiary caused no serious trouble to-day,
but they are still defiant and vaguely
threaten that they will yet compel the
authorities to yield to their demands.
Warden Hale is confident that the back
bone of the strike has been broken, and
declares that he will soon starve the un-
ruly men into subjection. They are
closely watched every moment and the
guards are instructed to instantly sup
press any attempts at organized dis
turbance. During the regular exercise
hours to-day some of the convicts, not
implicated in the strike but sympathiz-
ing with its leaders, pelted the doors of
the dungeons where the men on short
rations are confined with potatoes and
pieces of bread, and in this way man
aged to give them considerable food be-
fore the very eyes of the keepers
Shouting and hammering on the doors
We're continued all day and those who
approached within hearing distance
We're greeted with the vilest curses. The
men declare that they will never sub
nit to discipline again, and the prison
officials are freely aware that it will be
a difficult task to restore tranquility.
Warden Hale declares that there is no
foundation in fact for the complaints re-
garding the quality of food served. he
thinks this charge is merely pretext
for the convicts refusing to work in the
jute mill, and positively declares that,
having quelled the first outbreak, he is
now master OF the situation.
Shoot the first man who breaks out
of his CELL That was the order to the
guards at San Quentin tonight. The
prisoners We're shrieking like maniacs
and rafting and pounding on the iron
doors of their cells. The guards were
doubled and each carried a shotgun
loaded with buckshot.
Two men who We're released to-day,
their terms having expired, told what
the desperate convicts are planning.
According to this story, it has been
agreed among the ringleaders that when
they are permitted to return to work in
the jute mill, they will make a sudden
rush, kill Engineer Young if necessary,
overpower the guards and completely
wreck the magnificent plant, on which
an enormous amount of money, said to
he nearly 81 900, 900, has been spent. The
machinery is of such a nature that it
could very soon be damaged and prac-
tically destroyed and the convicts are
worked up to such a pitch that they
would stop at nothing. There are 1,364
prisoners within the walls at San Quen-
tin. over half of them are in open re-
volt Many of the others sympathiZe
with the violent ones
During the afternoon, Governor Budd
telephoned to Warden Hale, requesting
advice as to the exact situation at the
prison The Governor was anxious to
know if there was any danger of Jail
break.
The Warden replied that the situa-
tion was improving and informed the
Governor that the men We're all safely
locked up in their cells, and that. in his
judgment, there was not the slightest
chance for a single prisoner to escape.
Governor Budd did not make any sug
gestions as to what course the Warden
should pursue, but left everything with
Hale. telling him that he would back
him to the end and would send militia
if necessary.
The Warden SAYS that all the COM
plants made by the men are trivial. Di-
rector Wilkins declares that they have
no real grievance. Prison Surgeon Law
Ter says that the opium fiends who have
been deprived of the drug are at the bot
tom of the trouble