The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-20
.C0NV|CTS MI TINY
IN A COAL MINE.
Held Guards Prisoners
Under Threat Of Death.
LATER SURRENDERED
The Warden Would Make No Terms
With Mutineers.
DEMANDED BETTER TREATMENT.
They Threatened to Kill Their Prisoners Uu-
less Their Demands We're Granted and
Even Said They Would Wreck the
Mines = This Last Threat
Was Laughed at by
Warden.
DEMANDED BETTER TREATMENT.
(By Associated Prass.)

LEAVENWORTH, KAS., March 10.
the State mine at Lansing was brought
to close at 1880 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 re-
leased and are again above the surface.
lEAVENWORTH, KAS., March 19.-1n
the Kansas State penitentiary coal mine
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 the guards
come to the surface until Warden Tom
linson promises to give them better food.
They threaten to kill the guards il their
demands are not complied with.
The mines are worked by the worst
class of convicts, and among those who
have mutinied are twenty life prisoners.
Warden Tomlinson has refused to grant
the demands. There was great consterna-
ton this afternoon among the families
of the guards who are held by the con-
vcts All the penitentiary shops have
been closed and the convicts have been
locked in their cells, in order to have all
the guards in readiness for emergencies
to handle the conVictS should they at
tempt to rush from the mine.
LIVE ON MULE MEAT.
Many complaints have been made by
prisoners of the food furnished them, and
to this dissatisfaction has been added
allegations of mistreatment. No outbreak
was attempted, however, until the men
who had entered the mine mad refused to
return unless their demands We're granted
They killed the mules used in the mlne
and are living on this meat.
Serious trouble is apprehended if it is
found necessary to send DEPUTIES into the
colliery.
The miners have threatened to wreck
the mines. but the threat is laughed at
bv Warden Tomlinson, who says they
would not attempt this. as such acton
would endanger their own lives. lie
says he will starve them out.
communication was received from
one Of the guards to-day stating they
were hungry and tired, but so Tar as he
could learn all were alive.
OVERPOWERED GUARD
The first outbreak in the mine took place
shortly after the noon meal yesterday,
and was started by the convicts IN Di-
vision No s. OF the nineteen men in this
division, sixteen seized the guard and
overpowered him, and announced that
they had decided to strike. They told
the guard that they had decided to mine
two 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 conVlcts
in the mutiny while the others marched
to the adjoining division and called on
the convicts there to join the revolt. The
convicts We're soon marching through
the mine from one division to another
yelling and swinging their lamps and
picks.
Other desperate convicts entered with
spirit while short term men generally
offered no opposition to the mutineers
and Quietly Joined them, So far as can be
learned no OPPOSITION of any kind was
offered the conVicts.
The officers being unarmed were help
less and the life Of any one would have
been forfeited had he tried even to check
the mad spirit of the conVicts.