The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-29
MUTINY IN JAIL.
Jailer Patterson Has Vicious
Fight With Prisoner.
Louis Vaughn Battles UntiI He
Is OverpOwered by Trusty.
OTHERS TAKE A HAND.
AssaiI Patterson With Missiles of
All Kinds.
He Shoots Into Crowd But Hits
No One.
OTHERS TAKE A HAND.

A mutiny at the county jail which
might have resulted in a wholesale re-
lease of prisoners as well as the death
of the jailers was quelled this morn
ing by the timely assistance Of H. T.
Music. trusty serving a sentence for
manslaughter. and by the use of a re-
volver by the jailer.
Louis Vaughn. who is awaiting trans
portation to the state reformatory at
Hutchinson, started the trouble. He
attempted to overpower Undersherin ].
W Patterson, who was serving break
fast to the prisoners.
Vaughn is a notorious police charac-
ter under sentence for emptying a shot
gun and a revolver at his wife While
she was running down Crane street
month ago That he did not kill her
was not his fault, and though she dOdg-
ed the bullets from the revolver she has
been combing birdshot from her hair
ever since
Vaughn pleaded guilty at the present
term Of court and escap ped with a SEN
tence to the reformatory and this seems
to be distasteful to him and he has been
planning for some time past to escape
serving 1t. He tried not long ago to
hang himself Recently he devised a
plan for a term in the asylum in the
place Of in the reformatory and began
to have fits week or so ago and has
kept it up with startling regularity ever
since whenever any OF the jail force
We're about
He hasn't had any fortune with this
play, though it must be admitted that
he has been a bowling success and the
prisoners who have been confined with
him have had but little rest Of late and
have complained of his actions, and one
Of them told Of his plan with all of the
details. He has been using a. diet OF
soap and by so doing has been able to
froth at the mouth at pleasure and fur
ther his ideas Of the actions Of crazy
man and was put in the insane cell. 1t
Is supposed that he was chosen to lead
the mudny.
When the deputy sheriff started into
the padded cell this morning to deliver
the breakfast, Vaughn made a leap for
him and then began the struggle for
freedom. The jailer and prisoner fought
and rolled down two short flights of
stairs across a hallway and through the
Office, and Vaughn's nand was on the
latch of the door which separated him
from his freedom when Music, who was
in another part of the jail. attracted by
the scuffie came to the rescue of his
jaiIer and the escaping prisoner was
OverpOwered and taken gack to his cell.
In the fight Vaughn tried repeatedly
to bite Patterson, the ja1ler, and did
succeed in badly decorating the hand Of
Music When the prisoners in the cells
learned of the part taken in the fight
by Music their anger knew no bounds
and they villiied him by calling him
every name known to their tongues and
have promised to murder him when they
are released.
This incipient mutiny on the part of
the prisoners was headed by prisoner
by the name of Black who is looked
upon by the sherifT's force as a bad
man. It was he who captured a negro
some months ago and after rObbing
him marched him to the river at the
Doint of his revolver with the avOWed
s--f5. .F eI,r h n q
rived at their destination and then
throwing him in the river. Black has
been convicted of highway robbery and
+ is now in jail awaiting sentence and
transportation to the penitentiary-
With him in Jail are several other can
didates for the penitentiary, all desper-
ate men, and they are the ones who
! are the cause of the trouble and who
are vowing vengeance on the jailor and
Music.
Thev also declared their intention of
cleaning out the jail if they had to
burn it to do so. Under Sheriff Patter-
son went into the corridor surrounding
the cells and was aSsailed from all
quarters by missiles thrown by the
/ prisoners and the matter becoming too
{ warm for comfort, he drew his revolver
and hred into the mutinous prisoners
who Immediately fled to their cells
though none of them were struck by
the bullets.
It is believed that a general Jail de-
/ livery was planned but Vaughn had
heen taken from the cell room this
morning and confined in the padded
+ cell where he was examined by Doc
I tors Nicoll and Eastman as to his san
+ ity at the request OF Probate Judge
HAYDEN The exa animation proved tn e
+ contention of the force at the jail that
/ Vaughn is shamming insanity and he
/ will go to the reformatory to serve his
+ sentence
! If Vaughn had been confined in the
/ cell room with the remainder of the
/ prisoners when the attempted delivery
was made this morning there is but
( little doubt that they would have
overpowered the jailer and made their
/ escape As it is the most desperate
ones and the leaders have been sepa-
rated and are confined In cells by
/ themselves and Vaughn is occupying
/ apartments in the bull PEN awaiting
1 an order from the officials to take him
to Hutchinson to begin his sentence in
the reformatOry.