The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-09-06
CONV|CTS REVOLT
IN MICHIGAN PEN
One Convict Was Shot Down When
He Failed to Halt When
Commanded

Jackson, Mich, Sept. 3.-Five COM
panies of national guardsmen are to-
night camped within and without the
walls of the Michigan penitentiary
here, guarding prisoners who today re-
volted and caused reign of terror
within the prison enclosure. The con-
victs, whom the authorities allege were
responsible for the outbreak are lock-
ed up in the heart of the penitentiary,
many of them being chained to their
cells.
Every convict was in custody tonight
and not prisoner was badly hudt, ac-
cording to the statement of Warden
Sampson. He admitted that during
the riot trusty was seriously shot
and that then he had escaped.
Fifty men lodged in the prison bull
pen" have been held responsible for
the riot, which ragged for over an hour.
Warden Simpson declared after the
trouble that he ha dconsidered the
penitentiary impregnable, but it fail
ed when pitted against the skill, the
Ingenuity and the recklessness of con-
vict safe blowers. The building in
which the so-called desperate char
acters were quartered is composed of
twelve sections and attached to the
cell house, Some one in the cell near
est the prison stone house succeeded
in forcing the doors. This occurred
shortly after the noon hour In few
moments a number of the convicts un-
observed, entered the stone house and
armed themselves with mallets and
sledges. The other doors of the bull
pen" quickly were battered in. Yell
ling like mad men, the majority of the
Iconvicts streamed into the prison kit
chen and began smashing everything
in sight
The conyicts We're so successful IN
their early movements that the riot
was in full progress when Warden
Simpson was notified. He immediate
ly asked the military authorities in
jackson to hurry TO the prison, at the
same time ordering his guards and
special deputies to hold the rioters at
bay.
There was no checking the prison
ers, however, until the soldiers arriv
ed and then the demonstration ended
almost as suddenly as it had begun
Several of the convicts told the war
den they would go back peacefully
The men considered most liable to at
tempt further trouble were handcuffed
to their cells, while the others were
searched and locked in their stee
rooms.
The only convict wounded, was shot
by a man said to be a soldier in civil
ian clothes. The prisoner who was
running at the time, failed to obey the
command to halt and received a bull
let in his arm. Warden Simpson re
fused to tell the name of the victim
After order was restored, two Other
companies of the Michigan Nationa
Guard arrived at the prison and the
adjutant general took command. Gov
ernor Osborn, also in Jackson, said ht
was satisfied that the members of the
prison board of control were justified
in asking for the soldiers.
1t is understood the prisoners will
be given an opportunity to return
peaceably to work. The guards viii
be on hand as moral influence. War
den Simpson stated that thus far h,
: has not allowed any of the convicts Il
be flogged, although the board of con
! troll allowed him to use his own judg
ment in the matter. He did not say
however, that he would fail to exel
else that prerogative if necessary.
There has been trouble between tn
convicts and officers for some time
; but the open break came Friday in tn
dining room, 1t is said that disput
over food was responsible. Sine
then, over two score of the men hav
spent most of their time sulking i
= their cells or hammering against th
grating. Fearing outbreaks at an
time, the warden has had numbe
= of emergency guards working with tn
regulars.
: Everything was quiet about the pr
:, son tonight.