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That man was “Firebug” Johnson, one of the most notorious of all the inmates to ever serve a sentence at the Penitentiary. Johnson attempted to escape several times but was best known for his most notorious act; setting a fire that destroyed more than $500,000 worth of property and the deaths of several inmates.
Jan 24, 2023 · Walking out, a plaque on the wall recalls the years that J.B. “Firebug” Johnson served in the dungeon: 1883 to 1900, for setting a fire that destroyed prison property and caused the deaths of...
James B. Johnson, Charles Edward Hoffman, William Jameson Novalany (Editor) Fifth, poems expressing the woe of prison life and death. Originally published in 1903, this classic truly tells the ghastly story of the time.
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Jefferson City became the capital of Missouri in 1822, but in the next decade, there were other towns that were vying for the opportunity to take that status for themselves. Jefferson City needed to do something to ensure that it would remain the capital city and Governor John Miller came up with the solution in 1831 when he proposed the constructi...
When the prison, nicknamed The Walls, was fully completed it was surrounded by a high limestone wall with 15 officer towers.
Before long, 2,000 men were incarcerated at the penitentiary, which would be the average number of inmates for many years. The prison admitted its first female inmate in 1842.
Early on, the penitentiary operated a lease program where businessmen could hire inmates to work for them. Several buildings in Jefferson City, including the first capital, the governors mansion, and several area homes were built using prison labor.
Over the years, the prison became an industrial site and by 1885, it housed six shoe factories; clothing, broom, and twine factories; and the largest saddle tree factory in the world. All were worked by prison labor.
By the turn of the century, the penitentiary was considered one of the most efficient prisons in the country and the Jefferson City Star Tribune declared it as the Greatest in the World.
Housing Unit 1 was constructed in 1905 to house female inmates. It now serves as the main entrance to the penitentiary. In 1914, the prison was expanded again with the addition of Housing Unit 3, which became the capital punishment and segregation unit.
According to the Department of Justice, the prison housed 4,900 inmates in 1936. However, at its highest point, the facility housed 5,200 inmates, far more than it was designed to hold, and at this time, more inmates than any other facility in the country.
Although many riots, murders, and escape attempts occurred over the years, one of the biggest events in the prisons history occurred when a violent riot broke out in September 1954. In the previous two years, several other prison riots had occurred across the country and when gossip in the prison turned to talk of riots, authorities took it serious...
By midnight, the Missouri Highway Patrol, police from Kansas City and St. Louis, and national guardsmen had surrounded the prison. By that time, four buildings were on fire. Before it was over, nearly 2,500 rioters were on the loose inside the walls and the carnage continued through the night.
The authorities announced to the press that there would be no attempt to secure the cellblocks that night, but rather, the lawmen were tasked to prevent a mass breakout.
After 168 years of operation, the prison was closed in 2004 and the inmates were moved to the new Jefferson City Correctional Center. During its history, the facility contained as many as 50 buildings. After it closed, many were razed to make room for a federal courthouse and other state buildings.
In 1925, one of the prisons most infamous inmates Charles Arthur Pretty Boy Floyd arrived, who was well-known for his widespread bank robberies and his involvement in the Kansas City Massacre.
Feb 22, 2012 · In the late 1800s, after previous escape attempts, John B. “Firebug” Johnson and other inmates set fire to the state penitentiary, nearly burning down the entire complex. As the prisoners began to riot, Johnson stripped a guard of his uniform, donned the clothing, and asked the officer on duty to lower a ladder to help in “holding down the fort.”
Sep 5, 2017 · An inmate named John B. "Firebug" Johnson wrote a book called "Buried Alive for 18 Years In the Missouri State Penitentiary," after he was convicted and sentenced for crimes committed while in prison. The exercise yard, where inmates could spend an hour outside in the fresh air. Shari R. - Yelp.
Clipping found in St. Louis Post-Dispatch published in St. Louis, Missouri on 12/16/1900. 1900 JB Firebug Johnson Leaves Prison
