The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-21
THEY CAPTURE ONE MAN
Use Him as Shield, Hurling Taunts at
the Warden.
AT LENGTH THEY AGREE TO SURRENDER
One CT The Three Drops His Hands and Bullet
From a Guard Strikes Him In
hctipg Fatal
Wound.
(By the Associated Press0


Frankfort, Ky, Aug. 2O-The officials
of the State penitentiary and the citizens
of Frankfort were thrown into a state of
wild excitement today by riot in tie
prison, started by an attempt TO gain
their liberty on the part of three des-
perate murderers, Lafayette Brooks, of
Morgan county, and Wallace Bisnop and
L. Mulligan, of Kenton county.
Before the riot, which began at
o'clock and lasted until after 10, was
quelled and the mutinous "onvicts cap
tured, Bishop was fatally wounded, Null
lgan shot in the shoulder and negro
convict, Albert Ransom, of louisville,
whom the desperadoes had pressed into
service, was hit by a rifle ball.
The rioting started while Brooks, Null
ligan and Bishop, one of whom had pis-
toll concealed about his person, were
coming out of the dining room to answer
a hospital call. Suddenly one of the con-
victs drew a weapon ami compelled
Guard A. H Gill to give IN his arm.
Guard F. F. Hurst, who rushed to Giil's
assistance, was also captured by the con-
victs. Captain Mat Madigan. acting
warden, then rushed forward with six
guards and fired on the bunch, but no one
was wounded.
The convicts ran across the yard and at
the entrance to the reel department of
the chair factory captured Charles Will
lis, of Clark county, a foreman. They
covered him with their pistols and plac-
ing him between them and the guards re-
treated TO the rocker department in the
chair factory, whence they would COM
mand good view of the entire yard.
At window they stationed Willis and
Brooks with a revolver in his hand took
a position just outside the captive, rest
ing the muzle of the weapon on the fore
mans side The convicts then defied
Warden Lillard to attempt to capture
them, shouting that they would kill the
foreman at the first move made AGAINST
them.
BY this time several hundred citizens,
many of them heavily armed, had gath
cred at the prison gate, but the warden
denied admission to all. He issued or
ders for all the shops to close and for all
the prisoners to be returned at once to
their cells. He then placed a guard of
the desperadoes had barricaded them
selves and called on than to surrender.
The convicts' only reply was taunt.
For the protection of Foreman Willis the
warden then determined to starve the
desperadoesa into submission. James
Buckley. former city workhouse Keeper
and Morgan Brewer, a former guard ut
the penitentiary climbed 20 tn" roof of 4
residence overlooking the building III
which the convicts had taken refuge and
fired several shots into the room where
the desperadoes were intrenched. They
were compelled to desist, however, as
Foreman Willis was forced to thee Win
dow in the line of ire.
Finally a letter was dropped from the
window, saying that if the warden would
come to the head of the steps leading to
the reed department the convicts would
surrender, first sending their weapons
down by Frank Brooks.
Warden Lillard prepared to accept The
terms of this note, and as matter of
precaution a half dozen convicts were
placed in the hospital overlooking the
reed department
Warden Lillard, accompanied by eight
men, then proceeded to the foot of the
stairway.
The prisoners emerged from the iced
room as they had promised with hands
up, but as they proceeded down the
stairway, Bishop dropped his hands to
his side as if to draw a weapon. He bad
hardly made the motion when one of he
warden's party fired, the bullet striking
Bishop in the breast, intiicting fatal
wound.
Brooks sank to their knees, begging the
warden to save their lives and az 1890
o'clock the two desperadoes, heavily
shackled and accompanied by ten men
with drawn pistols, were placed in their
cells and quiet had been restored.