The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-08-28
DESPERATE CONVICTS MUTlNY.
Guards of Kentucky State Pen Held
at Bay-Three of the Mu-
tineers Shot.

penitentiary and the citizens Of Frank
fort were thrown into a state Of wild
excitement Wednesday morning by a
mutiny in the prison, started By an at
tempt to gain their liberty on the part
OF three desperate murderers, Lafay-
cite Brooks, Vallejo Bishop and T.
Mulligan.
Before the riot which began at G
o'clock and lasted until after 10, was
quelled, and the mutinous convicts
captured, Bishop was fatally wounded,
Mulligan was shot in the shoulder, and
a negro named Ransome, who joined
the trio, was hit by rife ball.
The mutiny started while Brooks.
Mulligan and Bishop, one Of whom
had a pistol concealed about his per
son, were coming out of the dining
room at o'clock to answer hospital
call. Suddenly one of the convicts
drew a weapon and compelled Guard
A. H. Gill to give up his arms.
Guard F. F. Hurst, who rushed to
Gill's assistance, was also captured BY
the convicts. Captain Mat Madigan,
acting warden, then rushed forward
with six guards, and fired on the
bunch, but no one was hit. The con,
victs then ran across the yard, and at
the entrance to the reed department
Of the chair factory, captured Willis,
a foreman.
They covered him with their pistols
and, placing him between them and
the guards, retreated to the rocker de-
partment from where they could COM
mand a good view of the entire yard.
At the window they stationed VIII
lis, while Brooks, with a revolver in
his hand, took position just beside
the captive, resting the muzzle of tho
weapon on the foreman's left side.
The convicts then defed Warden Lii
lard to attempt to capture them, shout
ing that they would kill the foreman
st the first move made against them.
BY this time several hundred cit
liens, many of whom were heavily
armed, had gathered at the prison
gates, but the warden denied admis-
sion to all. He issued orders for all
the shops to close and LOT all the pFis-
oners to be returned at once to their
cells. He then placed guard Of 81
men around the building in which the
desperadoes had barricaded them.
selves and called on them to surren-
der.
The convicts' reply was a taunt
After putting on bold front for
some time, the convicts promised to
surrender and asked that Captain Lii
lard and Captain Madigan come in per-
son to escort them, but it was believed
that was merely ruse to kill the Off
GERS
Later a letter from the desperadoes
was brought by Frank Brooks. The
note stated 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 by Brooks.
Warden Lilliard prepared to accept
the terms and as matter of precau-
ton a half dozen guards were paced
in the hospital overlooking the reed
department. Warden Liiliard, accom-
panied by eight men, then proceeded
to the foot Of the stairway Of the de-
partment.
Suddenly the crack of winchester
was heard, showing that the note was
but ruse.
1--WE got Bishop" shouted guard.
Hes dead"
The prisoners had emerged from
the reed room as they had promised,
with hands up, but as they proceeded
down the stairs, Bishop dropped his
hands to his side as if to draw weap-
on. He had hardly made the motion
when one of the warden's party fired,
the bullet striking Bishop N the
breast, inficting a fatal wound.
When Bishop fell Mulligan and
Brooks sank to their knees begging
the warden to save their lives.
developments showed that Ran,
some, the negro who was shot, was rot
pressed into service by the despera-
does, as was first thought, but had
ioined them after they entered the
rocker department. A bowie knife
was found on him when he was cap