The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-05
Fire Five Buildings and Join
Pitched Battle With Guards.
State Troops Attack Prisoners
With Bayonets.
KNIVES AND BRICKS, WEAPONS
Five Inmates Suffer Bayonet
and Bullet Wounds.
Believe Some Made Escape
Over Walls in Melee.

Joliet, ILL.,, June 5.-Serious riotinS
among convicts at the state prison
mere broke out this morning. Five
buildings were set on fire. Cornpanies
Z and F of the First Illinois Infantry
new IN FEDERAL service and encamped
near here, were called to assist the
guards in quelling the disturbance
Inc penltentiary is on the outskirts
or the city. Three fire companies
which responded to the alarm met
opposition from the convicts who used
brlcks and tools stolen from the i'm
plement house as weapons. There
were some knives among them also.
The buildings fired were the rattan
and chair factories. which are of con-
siderable size, she chapel, oil house
and lumber shop, which are smaller
structures in the big Enclosure There
guards. The situation soon got beyond
their control and Temporary Warden
Bowen telegraphed to Governor Low
den for the military. The fight was
proceeding briskly when the soldiers
arrived. They were order to hold
their fire and, altho outnumbered nine
to one, they began an orderly attack
with bayonets and dubbed rifles. Peter
Waters, guard, was injured.
Negro Attacks Guard.
Capt. H. c. Ridgeway. of E company
was guarding solitary" when he was
attacked by a big negro. There was
a terrific encounter Cor a moment I'M
til the soldier knocked his assailant
unconscious with a blow from his re-
volver. The first work of the SOL
diers was to clear the convicts away
from the blazing buildings, so that
the firemen could work. This was
quickly accomplished. Three hours
after the trouble started. the convicts
had not been subdued but the soldiers
were making steady progress in herd
! ing them toward the cell rooms The
| infantrymen were instructed not to
shoot except to save their own lives
| For some time there have been re-
| ports of lax discipline at the prison
and conditions were the subject of a
recent investigation by legislative
committee.
| Warden thinner resigned some time
ago voluntarily to accept another po-
| sition in Chicago. His successor has
not been appointed and Mr.. Bowen
| has been acting temporarily
| Monday, in the interest of discipline
he instructed that hereafter no wish
! tors, except relatives, would be adj
| mitted to the grounds.
Began by Throwing Dishes.
| Anger at the order first made itself
apparent at breakfast today. Dishes
were hurled at the guards, tables over
| turned and the convicts surged into
| the grounds, shouting and making
threats. They grabbed what missiles
|
more from the implement house. They
| twice set fire to the rattan shop, the
| first blaze having proved abortive.
! Other fires followed. The firemen
from this city responded to an alarm,
| but were opposed by the convicts who
threw volleys of bricks at them or en-
! gagged in personal encounters. Chief
Royce was knocked down but was res
| cued by his men. The militia grad
ually forced the scattered groups of
| convicts to a corner of the yard. The
! work was hampered by the darkness
| caused by the smoke of the burning
| buildings. Acting on the order of their
commanders the guardsmen fired sew
| eral volleys, aiming high SO as not
to kill. The shots had an immediate
effect and when the convicts were
! driven to a corner of the yard more
| effective work was done by the fire
| men. At noon II was declared the
fires in three of the five buildings
were under control The flames in the
chapel and the boiler room were not
extinguished and before many
streams could be directed at the burn
ing buildings, IT was feared they would
be completely demolished.
Take Five to Hospital.
Captain Ridgeway of E company
decided that to attempt to force the
convicts back to the cell room ada
cent to the burning chapel would in
| crease the Ol1I1Culty OF quelllng the
riot and ordered his men to keep the
convicts in a corner of the yard re-
mote from the fires. The five injured
were taken to the prison hospital for
treatment. The four convicts were
said to be suffering from bayonet
wounds. Some of the guardsmen were
hard pressed by the convicts and il
was believed that some shots took eff
feet.
Fear was expressed that some of
the convicts had taken advantage OF
the confusion and smoke to clanbor
over the walls and escape.
MiIitiamen and prison guards Were
posted on the walls as soon the
hand to hand struggle quoted to
guard against escapes.
More Soldiers Arrive.
At noon a battalion of the First ILL.,
nois came upon the scene with Maj
H. v. Clinnen in command. Two ad-
ditional companies had been sent for
Prisoners were herded in alleyways
and angles formed by buildings. For
bearance of the soldiers was due to
entreaty of the warden that there be
no shooting except as last resort A
guard named Hayward was injured
by a bullet rebounding from a stone
wall