The Topeka state journal., 1902-08-20
Three Murderers Try to Escape
From Kentucky Penitentiary.
One Fatally Wounded and An
other Shot in Shoulder.
HELD GUARDS AT BAY
By Old Ruse Of Capturing One
of Their Number.
We're Subdued After q Struggle
Lasting Four Hours.

FRANKFORT, KY, Aug. ZO.-Ine Onc1alS
of the state penitentiary and the citi-
zens of Frankfort were thrown into a
state of wild excitement today by riot
in the prison started by an attempt of
three desperate murderers, Lafayette
Brooks, Wallace Bishop and T. Multi
gan, to gain their liberty.
Before the riot, which began at 6
o'clock and lasted until after TO- was
quelled and the mutinous convfets Gagged,
Bishop was fatally wounded, Mulligan
was shot in the shoulder and a negro
convict, Albert Ransome of Louisville.
whom the desperadoes had pressed into
service, was hit by a rifle ball
The riOting started while Brooks.
Mulligan and Bishop were coming out
of the dining room to answer a hospital
call. Suddenly one of the convicts drew
Gill to give up his arms. Guard F. F.
Hurst who rushed to GilPs assistance,
was also captured by the convicts.
Captain Madigan, acting warden, then
rushed forward, firing on the bunch, but
no one was hit. The convictS then rum
ming across the yard to the entrance to
the reed department of the chair fac
tory captured Charles Willis, foreman.
They covered him with their pistols and
placing him between them and the
guards, retreated to the rocker depart
ment in the chair factory, from whence
they could command a good view of the
tuliTe ydTu- AL d WlnOOW Lney SIdllOu-
ed Willis, and Brooks, with a revolver
in his hand, took position just beside
the captive, resting the muzzle of the
weapon on Willis left shoulder. The
convicts then defied Warden Liliard to
attempt to capture them, shouting that
they would kill the men at the first at
tempt made against them.
By this time several hundred citizens,
| many heavily armed, had gathered a.
the prison gates but the 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 sixty
men around the building in which the
| desperadoes had barricaded themselves
and called on them to surrender. The
convicts only reply was a taunt For
| the protection of Foreman Willis, the
warden then determined to Starve the
| desperadoes into submission. In about
| half an hour a note was dropped from
| the window of the room where the con-
| victs had tak0n refuge asking Warden
Liliard and Deputy Warden Madigan
| to come up under a flag of truce and
/ deal with them. This demand was ig-
! nored.
| Shortly after this James Buckley a
| former city work house keeper and
Morgan Brewer. former guard at the
! penitentiary, climbed to the roof of a
residence overlooking the building in
which the convicts had taken refuge
| and fred several shots into the room
! WL0IG liio Temperatures were luLronCneO
| They were compelled to desist, however
as Foreman Willis was forced to the
| window in the line of fire. He called to
| the men to stop shooting and informed
| them that negro convict whom the
/ desperadoes had forced into service had
| been shot in the shoulder.
! At o'clock another note was dropped
| from the convicts' window offering to
surrender if the men were insured safe
| delivery to the cell house. This request
| ole fcrr1n Tha ,-lxo
| that Capt. Liliard and Capt Madigar
| come in person to secort them but ii
was believed that this was merely q
ruse to kill the officials
| Later another letter was brough,
| from the desperadoeS by Frank Brooks
| of Bond county. The note stated that il
| the warden would come to the head o1
| the steps leading to the reed department
the convicts would surrender, first send
| ing their weapons down by Frank
| Brooks.
| Warden Liliard prepared to accept
| the terms of this note and as a matter
of precaution half dozen guards were
placed in the hospital overlooking thu
reed department. Warden Liliard &C
companied by eight men then proceeded
to the foot of the stairway. Suddenl,
the crack of a Winchester was heard
showing that the note was but a ruse
| Eve got Bishop" shouted a guard
| HE is dead.'
reed room as they had promised witt
hands up but as they proceeded dow
the stairway Bishop dropped his hand
to his side as if to draw weapon. H
had hardly made the motion when on
of the warden's party fired, the bulle
striking Bishop in the breast, inflictinI
a fatal wound. When Bishop fell. Mul
ligan and Brooks sank to their knees
begging the warden to save their lives
BY 1890 o'clock the two desperadoes
heavily shacEled and accompanied b,
ten men with drawn pistols, were place.
in their cells and quiet had been re
stored.
After the men had been securely lock
ed up it was discovered that Mulligal
had been wounded in the shoulde
though he was not seriously hurt.