The San Francisco call., 1904-06-11
Desperate Inmates Plan to
Escape While Penit0n-
tiaFy Burns.
officials Are Reicent, but 1t Is Known
That Three Incendiary Attempts
Have Been Made.
Special Dispatch to The cali.

San QUENTIN, June l0.-A whole
sale jail delivery and the destruction
OF more than s4O0 900 worth Of the
States property has been attempted at
san Quentin prison There have been
three separate attempts made within
about as many weeks to burn down
TIE 5ute mill. The first attempt was
on Saturday afternoon, May p. and by
the merest accident were the plans
frustrated
That the formation Of the plot was
well generated is evident from the fact
that not until every convict was out
of the 5ute mill was the fire discovered
Il was set in the rear in what is known
as the preparatory department Two
guards who had left the mill suddenly
returned and were the ones TO discover
the FIRE. In ten minutes more the en-
tire building would have been in flames.
The fire apparatus is utterly made
custe 10 fight a confagration, and the
entire structure, with its 100000 worth
Cf machinery and thousands Of dollars
worth OF grain bags and raw jute,
would have been consumed in a short
tine. AZ the time the fre was discov-
cred all Of the 500 convicts employed
in the manufacture Of grain bags were
out of the mill. There were about 500
in the upper prison yard. while the
balance were in the lower yard.
PLAN OF THE OONVICTS.
The plan evidently was to set the
mil on FIRE, then while the prison Of
fcials were excited and the guards
progress OF the flames the convicts were
% make break for liberty. The cap
tain's Office was 10 be the objective
point Of attack While more apparatus
was being brought inside the walls the
gates would have TO be opened At
that time il was the plan Of the con-
victs 10 overDower the guards and, to-
Eether with Captain Harrison, Turnkey
swan and a number Of guards as
shield from the rife fire. force their
way 70 liberty.
i was a most desperate chance to
take and probably many prisoners
would have been killed. yet the ring
leaders Of the plot had so minutely out
lined their mode Of procedure that uI-
innate success 10 them seemed worth
the chance
This much OF the plot is known. II
has been obtained from some Of the
convicts suspected Of completely in the
plot yet the full details cannot be
ascertained- The officials themselves
are unable 70 ferret them out. The
CCuvicts are extremely secretive upon
the subject when questioned by the Of
fcers OF the prison. The matter has
been kept very quiet by the attaches
Of the prison. In fact, very few Of the
guards know Of the attempted escape
at all The higher officials are partIcu-
larly nOn-committal. Some deny that
an attempt al jail break was thought
Of Others say they heard something
about IL. but know none OF the facts.
OFFICIALS ARE RETICENT.
Those who know all the facts will not
talk. In regard 10 the fire they simply
say that al various times little blazes
are discovered in the mill, but they are
OF no consequence Yet with all the
assertions TO the contrary from semi
official circles the fact leaked out a few
days ago that such an attempt had
been made.
subsequently. in a careful investiga-
ton By a Call representative, many
details OF the affair were found ont
There were three attempts made To
burn the mill The first one was be-
tween 2:3O and o'clock on Saturday
afternoon. May 2L AS is the custom.
the men IN the mill quit work at 2.2O
IN Saturdays At AS O'Clock thew
are locked up There are over 500
convicts employed in the min. On
the day in question all hands had left
the mill. including the guards
Two q the guards returned and went
10 the back Of the mill IN the pre-
paratory department. where the raw
jute is first put into the machines.
they saw a blaze. and on investigation
they found that q quantity OF hber had
been neatly piled in one corner. In the
middle of this pile there was a light
ed candle. II had burned down 10 the
.-kindling," and the pile Of fiber was
ssniting rapidly.
STRAITJACKF.T APPLIED.
Both men worked diligently and sue
seeded in extinguishins the blaze. The
matter was reported and an investiga-
tion resulted. Several men who might
be implicated were closely watched as
they sauntered IN the yard before lock
up II was evident that the men We're
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