The Topeka state journal., 1901-09-19
Thirty Days in the esCrIb'' Was
the Punishment
Given the Prison Mutineers at
LeaVenWOrth.
REPORT OF WARDEN
On the Recent Trouble in the
Coal Mines.
Some Offenders Given Thirty
Days in Darkened Cell.


tiny in the penitentiary coal mine has
been completed, and is now in the hands
OF the prison directors. 1t discloses the
names of the ringleaders, gives a his
tory Of the mutiny, and closes by giving
an account Of the punishment admins
tered
According to the report there were
five ringleaders:
Isaac Fox, ,colored, sent up from L4eav-
enworth for life for murder. Fox served
a ten years term in the Illinois peni-
tentiary, and is known among the Grim
inal element as Scar Face Charlie
and .Lipsey.''
James Gott, white serving a seven
years sentence for grand larceny.
Jim Render, coIored, alias Denver
Kid hang man. Render killed a
man at Mcfarland. Kan. two years
ago.
Jack Monroe, white, sent to prison
from Oklahoma for ten years for grand
larceny.
John Perry. coIored, sent up from
Wyandotte county for ten years for
burglary.
Besides theseN there were so others
who took minor part in arranging for
the mutiny. The ringleaders were pun
ished severely. They were all put in
the Crib"
The crib is a contrivance built like
a coffin except that it has Stats across
the top instead of board. The convict
is laid in the crib" with his legs
bound and his hands folded across his
breast and tied It is almost impossible
for him to move a muscle. He begins
to tire of it in about five minutes, but
must remain there until released. No
particular attention is paid to whether
he gets anything to eat or whether he
is cared for in other ways. Under the
law Of Kansas inhuman punishment
cannot be administered at the prison
The crib barely comes within the law
Ii IS the most severe punishment that
can be imagined not to be classed as in
human. The ringleaders of the mutiny
had all they wanted of the crib" Al
though one becomes tired of it within 30
minutes, these ringleaders were kept in
the crib" for 30 days. One of them was
kept in for almost so days. When they
were released they were emaciated and
almost too weak to stand alone They
were kept there until the prison sur
geon declared another day of it would
mean their death. After being taken
from there they were plunged into the
dark cell and allowed to finish UP there.
They have not planned any more nu-
TIMES since Some of them have not
yet regained their strength.
The other fifty convicts who were
connected with the plan in a minor
way all served time in the dark cell
This is also severe punishment The
cell is absolutely dark, and it has no
furniture whatever. There is not even
a bed nor a chair in it. The prisceler
must NOPE around day and night in
and eat bread and water. Some of
them were kept there for thirty days
Others got out sooner.
The report shows that the prison off,
cials had an inkIing the night before
the mutiny that something was about
to happen The mutiny started on
Monday. AT the dinner table Sunday
there was a general Scuff1ing of feet of
nTIEnnArE
a sign of discomfort and dissatisfaction
The officers Immediately locked all the
convicts up and began to ferret out the
trouble.
Two convicts when put in the Sweat
box" claimed that something big was
on tap. and that jerry Carpenter was
at the head of the scheme. Carpenter
was Immediately sent for and ques-
toned.
Il am sure something is going to
happen in the mines tomorrow" said
he. but I'll pledge you my word that
am not connected with it in any way.
You have been good to me here and
there is no reason why 1 should start
anything. In order to show you that
I mean what I say 1 viii take your
side of the case when the trouble be-
gins"
Carpenter himself said he didn't
know exactly what was to be attempt
ed, but he would help the officers just
the same no matter what came up.
He was looked upon, at that time as
the most desperate convict in the priS-
on He was there serving a life sent
ence for murder committed in Potta-
Watomie county.
I'VE will trust you" said the officers
to Carpenter. 'fT ou can render US more
assistance than any other five men in
prison, because the other convicts fear
you"
This manifestation of confidence in
spired Carpenter and he was determ-
ined to render any assistance possible
to keep down any disturbance.
The next morning about 800 convicts
were sent to the mines with the usual
number of guards. Carpenter went
along. Several kegs of dynamite were
also lowered for blasting purposes At
ter working a couple of hours, the five
ringlea derS-Fox. GOtt, Render, Mon
roe and Perry-got together and de-
clared that the strike was on Other
convicts, who were playing in minor
roles, were sent as messengers to other
parts Of the mine to let the others know
what had happened and to notify them
to come to the main shaft. About 200
Of them responded The ringleaders
then sent a committee to wait upon the
other 100 and tell them that if they did
not come at once they would be killed
on the spot. This brought all of them
to time except Graham, who climbed
the airshaft. Carpenter took charge
of the dynamite. He arranged a fuse
so that by applying a torch the dyna-
mite could be exploded in a second.
After the mutiny was in progress for a
few hours and the convicts began to get
hungry, threats of blowing up the mine
were made. A committee was sent to
take charge Of the dynamite. Carpenter.
who was standing guard over it, noti-
fed them that If any attempt was
made to take the dynamite, he would
apply the torch and they would all .gO''
together. He held them at bay until the
mutiny was settled
Ordinarily Carpenter would have been
given a pardon as Graham was, but he
was such desperate man and the
murder which he committed was so
atrocious, that he was not given his
freedom However, he is not having to
work as hard as usual
Dick Williams. q. negro. who was sent