The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-22
KANSAS CONVICT COAL MIN
ERS MUTINY.
Wild SCENESUNDERCRoUND
Mutineers Refuse to Release Their
Prisoners Until Promised
Better Food.

mine at Lansing, 2S4 prisoners, who
went down into the mine Monday,
have mutinied and are holding Is
guards as hostages. They refuse to
let the guards come to the surface,
till the warden promises them better
food. They threaten to kill the guards
if their demands are denied.
The mines are worked by the worst
class of convicts and among the mutt
neers are 20 life prisoners. Warden
Tomlinson refused to grant their de-
mands.
The miners have threatened to
wreck the mine, but the threat Is
laughed at by the warden, who says
they would not attempt this, as such
action would endanger their lives.
He says he will starve them out.
A communication was received from
one of the guards today stating that
they were very hungry and tired, but
so far as he could.learn, all we're alive.
This was very assuring to the officers
on top and word was soon sent over to
Lansing to allay the excitement among
the families of the imprisoned officers.
The first outbreak in the mine took
place shortly after the noon meal yes
te1day and was started by the convicts
in division No. 8. OF the 10 men in
this division, 16 seized the guard aud
overpowered him and announced that
they had decided to strike. They
told the guard that they had decided
to mine w instead of three cars of
coal as a days work in the future and
that they proposed to have better food.
This guard was left in charge Of two
of the convicts in the munity, while
the others marched to other divisions
and spread the revolt and calledDon the
c%onvicts to join. The convicts were
soon marching through the mine from
one division to another, yelling and
swinging their lamps and picks.
Other desperate convicts entered
into the spirit, while the short term
men offered no opposition to the mutt
neers and quietly joined them. So far
as a be learned no opposition of any
kind was offered the conv1cts. The
officers, not carrying firearms, were
helpless and the life of any n would
have been forfeited had he tried even
to check the mad spirit Of the con
victs.
At $3.50 tonight Guard McShane,
one of the Is hostages, was hoisted to
the top, the striking convicts permit
ting it because of his being sick. He
reported that the prisoners have been
careful to avoid any violent act. The
other guards are in good condition and
will hold out as long as the %convicts
remian m%utinous, McShane says.
An hour later a ring was sent from
below and a. lone convict, not in SYM
pathy with the strike, was hoisted.
AS the cages were half the distance
from bottom of the shaft, the pris-
oner vas forced to climb 400 feet,
crawling up on the shaft timbers to
reach the cages. The convict said the
men in the mine had had nothing to
eat since noon yesterday, except some
corn this morning, which Vas used to
feed the mules in the mine. The mules
will be eaten, unless the strike is
ended before morning, the convict
says.
At 1890 tonight another convict
was hoisted to the surface to confer
with the warden. The strikers have
weakened, but desire to escape punish
ment for their conduct. Warden
Tomlinson says that he will force the
convicts to surrender Internationally,
much as he regrets starving his own
officers.
The revolt is not likely to last long.
The instruction was brought to a
close at II 80 tonight and the muffin
GUS conivcts are being placed in their
cells as fast as they can be brought to
the surface. The imprisoned guards
have been released and are again above
surface.