The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1912-03-29

/ lust before dark she appeared at an.
/ other window, i'm the chapel near the
main entrance, and said that tae plan
of the mutineers was to put the i'm.
priSoned guards before them and
make a rush to escape through the
! board wall by the south gate This
/ information was doubtless the means
of frustrating their plan, as 1t was
not carried out. In both instances she
/ quickly disappeared from the window
! by orders from her captors. These
communications contained no solicit
! tude for herself but concerned only
the safety of others and the response.
! biity she felt for the institution with
which she was associated.
\ little before | o'clock the next
morning, Company |, Twenty-third
/ United States infantry, arrived from
Omaha. under the command of Major
Randall, and at once proceeded to
guard the walls until morning.
Grave fears held possession of the
citizens until o'clock, when to the
intense JOY and relief of ALL Mrs.
Woodhurst again appeared at the
southwest window of the chapel. Els
peCialy comforting was her appear
ance to her husband and two sons,
who were out of the building at the
commencement, and consequently
could not go to her relief She as
surred them of her safety. and that
she though the mutineers would soon
surrender to her, but to her alone.
The troops. who We're nearly all
Indian fighters and celebrated shots
in the army, in the meantime were
making preparations to assault the
building from the south, force open
the door and face the conspirators in
their fort. compelling submission at
all hazards. But before the attempt
was made, McWaters and the others
laid aside their arms and agreed to
surrender to Mrs. Woodhurst, stipu-
lating against excessive punishment.
1t was a grand sight to see those des-
perate men, but a few hours before
determined to risk life against the
chance of obtaining their liberty, and
willing to take a hundred lives if
need be to secure a few more years
of their wild liberty, now led by a
single woman, who, while at their
mercy, had so fearlessly demanded
their submission. But without the
least appearance of self-cOnsCiOuSnesS
the brave woman delivered modestly
her prisoners into the hands of the
law. Upon the arrival of Mr. Wood
hurst, McWaters said: warden,
there is no use of mincing matters.
You are an old prison officer and
know how it is. | have no i'll will
towards you. You have treated me
well. but | am like other men-I want
my liberty; | thought ] saw chance
; to gain it and | improved it. | got
the better of you at first, but the
fates are against me. | lost my
chance; you have now the advantage
and | give up and surrender"
Thus ended one of the most eXcit.
ing incidents in the history of the
prison and a revolt, which for bold
: ness of design and persistent effort
in attempting its execution, has but
few parallels in the annals of prison
history.
The story of the heroism of Mrs
Mary \. WOOdhurst is worthy of pres.
ervation. Left alone during that night
of alarm she manifested that rare
quality of command which needs but
to be asserted to be Obeyed. Not
only did she protect herself from
harm, she even forced into subsection
to her will the desperate band of in
to,
more than they did the officers, and
|, who surrendered to Cher, while they
still defied the representatives of the
law.
> At the time of the revolt, Mrs
WoOdhurst was in her apartments
: which were separated by but one
- room from the warden's office. Wher
> the cOnyicts hurried to the armory
Mrs. WoOdhursts attention was at
tracted by the confusion. Fastening
to the office, she realized that a re
:, volt had taken place. and that The
9 arms of the prison were in the hand!
of rebelious prisoners. AS she ap
peared at the door, she was decisivel,
but courteously directed to return t.
Y her own apartments.
n She at once repaired to a room
o opening from her own, with a north
, ern exposure. from which she coult
# see the northwest turret. She called
Il to the guard and directed him t.
alarm the guards in the other turrets
: who alone We're then free, and proven
o them from coming to the building, a
i one of them was then doing. Thi
: timely movement, besides, doubtless
, saving the life of the guard, precip
J. tated matters, and materially chang
f. ed the situation by the covering o
n the door with the carbine
=. of the guards, thus defeatin
n the plans of McWaters. This illus
O trates a presence of mind seldom me
10 with in men, and more rarely in tn
d gentler sex, whose lives are such a
: generally exclude them from startlin
sc situations. Yet it is the more con
+. mendabe for its bravery. They wer
n desperate men, and We're determine
in to achieve their liberty at all hazards
is But she faltered not, even while sh
k. realized that they had taken thei