Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-08-21
A RIOT IN A PENITENTIARY
Wild Excitement at Frankfort, KY,
Today Over an Attempt Of Three
Murderers to Break Jail.
ONE MAN WAS FATALLY INJURED
Two Others Were Shot, One of
Them Accidentally.
RlOTING CONTINUED FOR A LONG TIME.

Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires.
Frankfort, KY, Aug. 90. Tho officials
of the State penitentiary and the citi-
Zens of Frankfort were thrown into a
| state of wild excitement this morning
by riot in tho prison, started by an
! attempt on the part Of three desperate
murders, Lafayette Brooks of Morgan
county and Wallace Bishop and II.
Mulligan of Kenton county, to escape
from the institution.
Before the riot, which began at 6
o'clock and lasted until after 10, was
quelled and the three conyicts were
captured, Bishop was fatally wounded,
Mulligan was shot in tho shoulder and
a negro convict whom the desperadoes
had pressed into service was hit by
rifle ball.
The rioting started while Brooks,
Mulligan and Bishop, one of whom had
pistol concealed about his person,
were coming out of the diningroom to
answer hospital call. Suddenly one
Of the conyicts drew weapon, and
compelled Guard A. II. Gill to give up
his arms. Guard +. +. Hurst who
rushed to ellis assistance, was also
captured by the convicts. Capt Mat
Madigan, acting warden, then rushed
forward with six guards, and fired on
the bunch, but no one was wounded.
The oonvicts then ran across the yard,
and at the entrance to the reed DEPART
ment of the chair factory captured
Charles Willis of Clark county, fore
man. Thy covered him with their
pistol, and, placing him between them
and the guards, reiterated to the rocker
department in the chair factory, from
which they could command a good view
OF the entire yard. AS q window they
stationed Willis, and Brooks, With q
revolver in his hand, took a position
Just beside the captive, resting the
muzzle of the weapon on the foreman
side. The conviots then defied Warden
Lillard to attempt to capture them,
shouting that they would kill tho fore
man at the first roye made against
them.
BY this time several hundred citi-
zens, many of tkem heavily armed, had
gathered at the prison gates, hut tho
warden denied admission TO all He
issued orders for all the shops to close,
and for all the prisoners to be returned
at once to their cells. He then placed
guard of 30 men around the building
in which tho desperadoes had bnrri-
caded themselves, and called on them
to surrender. The convicts' only reply
was a taunt. For the protection OF
Foreman Willis the warden then de-
termined to starve tho desperadoes into
submission. In about half an hour q
note was dropped from the window OF
the room where the conricts had taken
refuge, asking Warden Lillard and
Deputy Warden Madigan to come up
under a flag of truce and deal with
them. This demand was ignored.
Shortly after this James Buckley,
former city workhouse keeper, and
Morgan Brewer, foriner guard at this
penitentiary, climbed to the roof of a
residence overlooking the building il
which the convicts had taken refuge
and fired several shots into the room
where the desperadoes were iitrenched.
They we're compelled to desist, however
as Foreman Willis was forced TO th{
window in the line of fire. He called
to the men to stop shooting, and in
formed them that % negro convict whom
the desperadoes had forced into service
had been shot in the shoulder. ATT
O'Clock another note was dropped froir
the convicts' window, offering TO sur
render il the men we're insured safe do
livery to the cells. This request was
also ignored. Later another letter
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
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 re-
paired to the foot Of the stairway.
The prisoners emerged from the reed
room as they bad promised, with hands
up; aud as they walked down stairs.
they fell on their knees and begged the
warden to save their lives.
When Bishop fell. Mulligan and
Brooks sank to their knees. begging tho
warden to save their lives, and ut 10. 30
O'Clock the two desperadoes, heavily
shackied and accompanied by 10 men,
with drawn pistols, we're placed in
their cells and quiet had been rest4s-szss