The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-03-28
MUTINY IN A Mine
COaY!ctS HGId Their Guards as R0S.
tages.
STR!Ef MADE fer BETTER RATE0NS
The Warden Refuses the Demand OF
the Convicts and Says He VIII
Starve them Out.

Leayenworth, kans., Special.-in
the Kansas State peniten:iGry coal
mine at Lansing 2Sf prisoners, who
went Gown into the mine on Monday
morning. have Tuntinied and are
Go!ding 10 guards as hostages. They
refuse 20 let the guards come 10 the
surface until Warden Tonllinson pro-
misses to give them better food. They
threaten 10 Kill the guards if their de
mandS are not complied with. The
mines are worked by the worst class
CT conyicts and among those who have
muti1iel are twenty life prisoners.
Warden Tomlinson has refused %
gran. the demand, There was great
conservation Tuesday afternoon
among the families Of the guards who
are held by the convicts. All the peni-
tan;iary shops have been closed and
the convicts have been ordered in
their cells. in order TO have all the
guards in readiness for an emergency
to handle the convicts should they at
tempt 10 rush from the mine.
Many complaints have been made
by the prisoners because Of the grade
OF food furnished them, and to this
dissatisfaction has been added allega-
lions Of mistreatment. No outbreak
was attempted. however. until the men
who had entered the mine, refused to
return unless their demands were
granted. They killed the mules used
in the mines and are living on TINS
meat.
Serious trouble is apprehended if it
is found necessary TO send deputies
into The coilery. The miners have
/ threatened to wreck the mines but the
| threat is laughed al Warden Tomlln-
son, who says they would not attempt
this. az such action would endanger
their lives. He says he will starve
them out. A communication was re-
ceived from one of the guards stating
that they were hungry and tired, but
so far as he could learn all were alive.
| The Hrst outbreak in the mine TOOK
place shortly after the neon meal Iu-
esday and was started by the convicts
| in division No. s. Ct the 19 men IN
this division, 16 seized the guard ana
oyerpowered him and announced that
they had decided to strike. They told
the guard that they had decided TO
mine t1o 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 corvicts in the mutlny Wnlle
the others marched to he adjoining di-
vision and called on the convicts there
20 io:n the revolt. The convicts were
soon marching through the mine from
! one division to another. yelling aad
swinging their lamps and picks. 9th
cr desperate ccnYicts entered into the
! s3irit while the short-te!m men gen
orally offered no opposition to the
mutineers and quietly joined them.
So far ,,s can be learned no opposition
Of any kind was offered the conyicts.
The officers being lEnarmed, were
he.pless. and the life OF any would
| have been forfeited had he tried even
to check the mad spirit OF the con-
viCts.
Guard McShane. one OF the 15 hos.
teges. was hoissed TO the surface to-
night the striking convicts permitted
i. bec..;se Of his being i'll. He rH-
pcrted that the prisoners have been
| careful to avoid anw violent act. the
| other guards. he said. are in good
condition and will hold out as long IS
long as the convicts rtmain mutEnous.
Ar tour later a signal came up from
below and one convict, not in syTqa-
thy with the strike, was hoisted out.
| As the cages were half the distance
I from the bottom of the shaft the prls-
oner was 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 coffee. which was made from
corn used to feed the mules in the
mine. The mules, he said, will be eat
en- unless the strlke- is ended soon.
Late Tuesday night another convict
was ho:sted to the surface to confer
with the warden. Warden Tomlinson
sasy that he will force the convicts to
surrender Internationally, much as
he regrets starving his own officers.