The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-08-23
INSANE MOB
AT DANNEMORA
Battle With Guards in Plot to
Escape
ONE PRISONER KILLED
Criminal Madmen Make Stubborn and
Concerted Effort to Force an Exit
from the States
Prison.
ONE PRISONER KILLED

Plattsburg, N. Y, Aug. 23.--For two
hours Wednesday night mob of Grim
inally insane at the state hospital in
Dannemora stood off their guards, while
other lunatics made q desperate attempt
to force an exit from the building. Not
until one of the rebelious madmen had
been shot and killed, and the guards
had been reinforced by less violent in
mates and villagers, was the outbreak
put down.
When the rebels had been locked in
their rooms, an examination Of what the
Insane men had done was made. This
developed that two large dormitories had
been wrecked, windows smashed, iron
gratings bent and walls damaged, where
an effort had been made to wrench the
Iron bars from their stone fittings.
The dead man was Isaac Dubois, who
had been at the hospital but a short
time. Convicted of larceny in the sec
ond degree, he was subsequently, mental
~ examined and ordered to the state
hospital for the criminal insane.
Details of the outbreak first became
generally known yesterday. 1t had been
planned with the cunning of the mad,
and the plan so far as carried out was
executed with reckless boldness.
All had been quiet among the 500
men in the institution when at exactly
o'clock, and without any noticeable
signal having been given, almost all the
inmates who had been lined up for re-
firing rushed into two Of the big dor
mitories and slammed the doors in the
faces Of the surprised guards, who rushed
after them. The lunatics, showing a
determination and concerted vigor sell
dom possessed by insane criminals, bar
rieaded the doors with beds and other
furniture, and Immediately started a
fierce assault on the heavily barred win
dows, evidently hoping to force all at
once and thus obtain easy avenues of
escape to the outer world.
Some of the less violently insane Of
fered their assistance to the keepers and
were gladly enlisted. It was seen that
&he doors could not be forced to allow
entrance, as heaps of furniture were
piled against them and an attempted
entrance would mean death. Guards
were stationed at all the outside win
dows and ordered to shoot at all arms
or hands appearing through the win
dows, but not to kill save in case Of
absolute necessity.
All of the fire hose was then connect
ed and heavy streams of water shot at
the windows where the lunatics could
be seen The effect Of this was stopped
when the madmen put mattresses in all
the windows and continued hammering
at the stone work in which the bars
are set. All kept up a continual shout
ing and shriel<ing Above all the tumult,
however, could be heard the furious
pounding of the iron bed posts welded
by the inmates, who also had a heavy
chisel and sledge hammer. Where they
got these is a mystery.
Several shots were fired by the guards
but it was impossible to tell whether
they were effective until the riot was
quelled, when It was discovered that
Isaac Dubois had been shot and killed,
probably instantly. Townspeople and
guards from the prison were attracted
by the terrific noise and assisted ma.
terially, when at II o'clock the wardens
made series Of assaults and finally
forced the doors and overpowered the
rioters.
This is the first and only outbreak Of
any sort since the opening Of the hos.
pital in 1000.