ONE THOUSAND CONVICTS CAPTURE A PENITENTIARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7656, 5 June 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

ONE THOUSAND CONVICTS CAPTURE A PENITENTIARY.

BARRICADED WITH HUMAN BODIES. Montreal, Quebec, April 24, ISS6. —A moat startling revolt took place at St. Vincent de Paul Provincial Penitentiary, about fifteen miles from Montreal, this afternoon. The contest lasted for neirly two hours, and resulted in the killing of one convict, and the wounding of sixteen other parsons, some of whom are dying, among them the warden of the institution, THE signal OF revolt. In this penitentiary were confined about a thousand prisoners, comprising the most desperate characters in Canada. The work of the different gangs was iu progress as usual yesterday afternoon, when suddenly a convict stood up in the open yard and held up one hand. It was a preconcerted signal, for, in an instant each gang which had been expecting the movement leaped upon their unsuspecting guard and quickly overpowered him. They took his arms from him and tied him up. Fifteen or sixteen men were thus disposed of, and then the convicts were in possession of the gaol. They were also armed with the guards' revolvers and ammunition, and almost immediately had Chief Warden Laviolette a prisoner, he, too, being overpowered and tied. THE CONVICTS ATTACK THE WALLS. The convicts then armed themselves with crowbars and other implements and moved towards the walls to break down the gates. There were eight or nine men on the walls armed with rifles, and these few ordered the criminals back to their cells. The de3perate convicts continued to advance, holding up Chief Warden Laviolette in front of them as a target. The other wardens, bound hand and foot, were also used in the same way. "Never mind me, men ; fire away and do your duty," shouted Chief Warden Laviolette. A WELL-CONTEST FIGHT. Seeing that the men hesitated, .he reiterated his command, fearless of the armed ruftiana about him. Then commenced a fusillade, and the bullets whistled back and forth between the revolting convicts and the guards for some time. At last the convicts determined to carry the walls bv storm, and procured ladders. Convict Viau, French Canadian, lead the storming covered by his fellow convicts, who peppered away with the captured revolvers. He had almost gained the parapet when a guard fired point blank at him, and he fell to the ground, where he lay as if shot, but he was really only badly seared and shocked by his fall. ONE COS VICT KILLED. Convict Corriveau then sprang up the ladder, to fall dead the next instant with a bullet through hia heart. Revolvers were of no use against rifles, and the death of Corriveau dampened the ardour of the convicts, yet still they fought on. Meantime assistance had been telephoned for to the Montreal Police Headquarters, and a number of men, under Chief Cullen, were at once despatched to the prison. 'The firing had startled the villagers, but they could render no assistance. The guards on the wall stood on their posts, and only one of them, Private Chartrand, was hit. He received a bullet in his leg. THE DYING WARDEN. The plucky Chief Warden lay where his men could see him bleeding to death—his jaw shattered, a ball through his groin, another through the body, and a fourth through his arm. The guards picked off their men with such celerity that Convict Holton was weltering in his blood, Convict Monday shot through both arm 3, and Convict Norman wounded badly in two places, and eight or ten others were wounded. Then the convicts threw arms and rushed for cover to their cells. They were promptly locked in, and the guards were once more in possession. The death of Warden Laviolette is momentarily expected, and that of Norman and Monday is looked for before morning. It is considered remarkable that although the convicts were in possession of the interior of the penitentiary for nearly two hours, not one of them escaped.