The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-22
DESPERATE MuRDERERs At
TEMPT TO GAIN LIBERTY.
CoNvICTS SECURE ARMS.
Fight Lasted Four Hours When One
Prisoner Was Killed and
Others Surrendered.

ridHhlorI, n.y., Aug. 2O.-Ihe Of
ficials of the state penitentiary and
the citizens of Frankfort were thrown,
into state of wild excitement today
by a riot in the prison started by an
attempt of the three desperate MUIR
derers, Lafayette Brooks, Wallace
Bishop and T. Mulligan, to gain their
liberty. Before the riot, which began
at 6so'clock and lasted until after 10,
was quelled and the mutinous convicts
captured, Bishop was fatally wound
ed, Mulligan was shot in the shoulder
and negro convict, Albert Ransome
of Louisville, whom the desperadoes
had pressed into service, was hit by
a rifle ball.
The rioting started while Brooks,
Muligan and Bishop were coming out
OF the dining room to answer a hos
pital call. SUDDENLY one of the con-
victs drew revolver and compelled
Guard A. P. Gill to give up his arms.
Guard f. r. Hurst, who rushed to
Gill's assistance, was also, captured
by the convicts. Captain Madigan,
acting warden, then rushed forward,
firing on the bunch, but no one was
hit
Used Foreman As Shield.
The convicts then began rssnning
across the yard to the entrance to
the reed department of the chair
factory and captured Charles Willis,
a foreman. They covered him with
their pistols, and placing him be-
tween them and the guards, retreated
to the rocker department in the chair
factory, from whence they could COM
mand good view of the entire yard.
At the window they stood Willis,
and Brooks, with revolver in his
hand, took position just beside the
captive, resting the muzzle of the
weapon on Willis shoulder. The con
victs then defied Warden Lillard to.
attempt to capture them, shouting
that they would kill the foreman at
the first move against them.
Armed Citizens Respond.
BY this time several hundTed citi-
zens, many Of them heavily armed,
had gathered. at the prison gates, but
the warden denied admission to all.
He issued orders for all the depart
ments to clese and for ali the prison
ers to be returned at once to their
cells. He then placed a guard of 60
armed men around the building in
which the desperadoes had barricaded
themselves and called on them to sur
render. The convicts' only reply was
taunt.
For the protection of Foreman Will
lis the warden then determined to
starve the desperadces into submis-
sion. In about half an hour note
was dropped from the window of the
room where the convicts 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,
a former city workhouse keeper, and
Morgan Brewer, former guard at
the penitentiary, climbed to the roof
of a residence overlooking the build
ing in which the convicts had taken
refuge and fired several shots into
the room where the desperadoes were
entrenched.
They were compelled to- desist, how
ever, 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 con-
vict whom the desperadoes had fore
ed into service had been shot in the
shoulder.
Decoy Notes Sent.
At 9 o'clock a note was dropped
from the convict's window, offering to
surrender if the men were insured
safe delivery to the cell house. This
request was also ignored.
The convicts asked that Captain
Lillard and Captain Madigan come in
person to escort them, but it was be-
lieved that this was merely a ruse to
kill the officials.
Later another letter was brought
from the desperadoes by Frank
Brooks of Bond county. The note
stated that if the warden would come
to the head of the stairs leading to
the reed department the convicts