Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1891 — CONVICTS RELEASED. [ARTICLE]

CONVICTS RELEASED.

Sensational Culmination of the Tennessee Mining Troubles, Two Thousand Five Hundred Men Heavily Armed Enforce Their Demand for the Release of the Convicts. The convicts in the Briceville mining regions (Tennnessee) were released by miners Friday night. Particulars are given as follows: The citizens in Briceville began to hear squads of men passing through the place on their way to the stockades between 8 and 9 o’clock Friday night. This was kept up for nearly an hour. It was about 9;30 when two hundred men descended Walden's ridge, approaching the, stockade from the oast. They called upon Tvarden Cross to deliver them the keys of the prison. While this was going on the magazine was blowed up and the stockade surrounded by 2,500 men. Cress gave up the keys, and when the 141 convicts were released they assisted in burning and destroying the property. The attacking party then moved on the Chumley or Coal Creek stockade, and a halt was made near there. Twenty-five men were sent forward to demand the surrender of the conyicts. The men kept up continuous volleys from their Winchesters. Only one guard was on duty, and he los 1 no time in obeying. The convicts were told to go, and many bf themfs§TtWiW- = ville, were given citizens’ clothes. When the convicts were liberated they plundered Chumley’s store and destroyed the stockade furniture. The office building was set on fine by the overturning of a stove. The mob then descended to the valley, where they set off several dynamite bombs and fired a small cannon they had with them. The racket occasioned by these discharges, together with the explosion of the ammunition stored at Briceville stockade, which the fire touched off. created the impression among non-partici-pants that a small war was in progress. This, however, was not the case, as, there was not a single shot fired nt any man, br any personal violence. The woods, fields and railroad tracks around the two stockades were generously strewn with the striped suits of the released convicts. Convicts in gangs of tens and twenties were wanderingall over tho surrounding country. Ono convict arrived at a small settlement near .Coal Creek who was still in his stripes, and he was quickly sent on his way rejoicing. Several gangs were seen at various points along the K. & O. railroad. Whenever they asked for help it was freely given them by the natives. A citizen of Coal Creek pointed out a group of men to the reporter, remarKing: ‘'Those men are not of this place,” but when asked where they came from the citizen shut up like a clam. At another time they wereto'd that one of the group he had been conversing with was an escaped conylct, but further information was refused. A large number of convicts who could not obtain citizen’s clothes returned to Coal Creek during the day and surrendered to the guard. Dispatches on the 2d say: The convicts are hiding in the mountains of Kentucky. The prison officials rejiort that about 350 convicts have been released Governor Buchanan has order -d the militia to be ready for duty at a moment’s notice. There is much uneasiness nt Briceville, and atpliver Springs, Tracy City and Inman, where convicts are employed, over the rumors that the niners there have organized with a vicw„>l'l> j erating all convicts working at tje-A places. The Governor has.offered a rewa d. for the capture of the convicts.