The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-20
G()NV|CTS GO ON STRIKE
FIFTEEN KANSAS PENITENTIARY
GUARDS HELD IN LANSING
MINE AS HOSTAGES
LESS WORK AND BETTER FOOD
Is the UItimatum Presented to the
Warden by the Strikers, Who
Include fa Their Num-
Der Twenty Liners.

at Lansing, 2S4 prisoners who went down
into the mine on Monday morning have
mutinied and are holding fifteen guards
as hostages. They refuse to let tie
guards come to the surface until Warden
Tomlinson promises to give them better
food. They threaten to kill the guards
if their demands are not complied with
The mines are worked by the worse class
OF conv1ctS, and among those who have
mutinied are twenty life prisoners.
Warden TomlinSon has refused to grant
the demands.
Many complaints have been made by the
prisoners because of the grade of food
furnished them, and to this dissatisfac-
ton has been added allegations of mis-
treatment. No outbreak was attempted,
however, until those who entered the
mine in the morning refused to return un-
less their demands were granted.
Serious trouble is apprehended if 1t be-
comes necessary to send deputies into the
eolliery.
There was CONSERVATION this afternoon
among the families of the guards held by
the conyicts
All the penitentiary shops have been
closed, and the convicts are locked i'll
their cells in order to have all guards In
readiness to handle the conxicts should
they attempt to rush from the mine.
The miners have threatened TO wreck
Warden Tomlinson, who says they would
not attempt this. as such action would
endanger their lives. He says he will
Starve them out
GUARDS ALL REPORTED ALIVE.
communication was received from
one of the guards today, stating they
We're very hungry and tired but so far
as he could learn all were alive This
was very assuring to the officers, and on
top, and word was soon sent over Lans-
ing to allay excitement among the FAM
lies of the imprisoned officers. The first
outbreak in the mine took place shortly
after the noon meal yesterday and was
started by the convicts In Division No
g. OF the nineteen men in this divi-
sion, sixteen seized the guard and over
powered him. announcing that they had
decided to strike. They told the guard
that they had decided to mine two, in
stead Of three, cars of coal as days
work in the future, and that they pro-
posed to have better food. This guard
was left in charge of two convicts in
the mutiny while the others marched to
the adjoining division and spread the re-
volt and called on the convicts to join
The convicts were soon marching through
the mine, from one division to another
yelling and swinging their lamps and
picks. Other desperate eonvicts entered
into the spirit, while short-term men Of
fefed no opposition to the mutineers and
quietly Joined them. So far as can be
learned no opposition of any kind was Of
fered the convicts The officers, not car
rying firearms, were helpless, and the life
if anyone would have been forfeited had
he tried even to check the mad spirit of
the c0nyicts.
ONE GUARD RELEASED.
At $50 tonight Guard McShane, one of
the fifteen hostages was heisted to the
top, striking convicts permitting it be-
cause Of mis- being sick. He reported tksxt
the prisoners have been careful to avoid
any violent act.
The other guards are in good condi..
ton and will hold out as long SIS the
conVicts remain nlutinous. McShane
says:
An hour later, a ring was sent from be,
low and a lone convict not in sympathy
with the strike was hoisted. AS the
cages were half the distance from the
bottom of the shaft. the prisoner was
forced to climb AGO feet, crawling UP on
the shaft tirnbers to reach the cages
The convict said the men in the Inine
had had nothing to eat since noon yes
terday except some corn, which was
used to feed the mules in the mine
The mules win be eaten unless the strike
is ended before morning, the convict says.
AT 1870 O'Clock tonight. another convict
was hoisted to the surface to confer
with the warden The strikers have
weakened but desire to escape pun
ishnent for their conduct
Warden Thompson says that he will
force the convicts to surrender uncon-
ditionally much as he regrets starving
his own officers. The revolt is not likely
to last long.
STRIKE
The Instruction of the convict miners
in the state shaft at Lansing was
brought to a close at 11:39 O'Clock tonight
and the mutinous conVicts 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 the surface
Shortly after nightfaH the warden and
every available officer gathered around
the mouth of the mine, each man heavily
armed. Hunger had began to tell upon
the mutinous eonyicts and they began
to parley with the warden. They sent
him word that if he would promise not
to infiict punishment for their action they
would surrender and come up. To this
the warden would not consent sending
down word that the surrender must be
unconditional, the question of punish
ment to be considered later AS the
night wore on the warden held a CONSUL
tation with his officers and it was de-
clded to attempt a rescue of the guards
and also to overawe the convicts and
force their surrender.
Selecting his men. the warden, with
seven Or eight guards heavily armed, en-
tered the hoist and were soon speeding
downward. When near the bottom OF
the pit. a heavy fusiiade was opened, the
shots being fired toward the top of the
shaft This took the convicts by sur
prise, and. thinking that the shots were
intended for them, they hastily fed, leav-
ing the guards who were soon Joined by
their comrades, after which they were
sent to the top. The armed guards then
| started after the convicts and soon had