Castle: The Story of a Kentucky Prison

Castle: The Story of a Kentucky Prison by Cunningham, Bill. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780913383322.

Castle, The Story of a Kentucky Prison chronicles the history of the Kentucky State Penitentiary at Eddyville, beginning with its construction over 100 years ago. It tells of murders, escapes, riots and executions which have occurred in the medieval-like fortress, sitting high above the Cumberland River in Lyon County. The centerpiece of the book is the daring Tex Walters shoot-out of 1923 when inmate Walters and two confederates shot and killed three prison guards, wounded a fourth, and barricaded themselves in the dining hall for four days. The National Guard was called in and the siege garnered nationwide attention as the suspenseful stand-off unfolded. Lillian Walters, wife of the rebel convict, was then tried in a dramatic court room battle for her gun-smuggling role in the uprising.