▁won ▁the ▁election ▁easily , ▁ending ▁Buch an an ' s ▁political ▁career . ▁ ▁See ing ▁that ▁the ▁state ' s ▁financial ▁g ains ▁from ▁conv ict - le asing ▁had ▁been ▁er ased ▁by ▁having ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁milit ia ▁in ▁the ▁field , ▁Tur ney ▁and ▁the ▁legisl ature ▁decided ▁to ▁let ▁the ▁T CI ▁contract ▁exp ire , ▁and ▁en act ed ▁legisl ation ▁to ▁build ▁Br ush y ▁Mountain ▁State ▁Pen it enti ary ▁and ▁purchase ▁land ▁in ▁Morgan ▁County ▁where ▁conv ict s ▁would ▁mine ▁coal ▁directly ▁for ▁the ▁state , ▁rather ▁than ▁compet ing ▁with ▁free ▁labor . ▁ ▁Anderson ▁County ▁judge ▁W . R . ▁H icks ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁ind ict ments ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 3 0 0 ▁min ers ▁and ▁other ▁individuals ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁Co al ▁Creek ▁u pr is ings . ▁ ▁Many , ▁including ▁Eug ene ▁Mer rell , ▁fled ▁the ▁state ▁before ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁charged ▁or ▁brought ▁to ▁trial . ▁ ▁Near ly ▁all ▁who ▁showed ▁up ▁in ▁court ▁were ▁either ▁acqu itted ▁or ▁found ▁guilty ▁and ▁f ined . ▁ ▁Only ▁one ▁trial ▁ended ▁with ▁serious ▁j ail ▁time — ▁D . B . ▁Mon roe , ▁sent enced ▁to ▁seven ▁years ▁after ▁being ▁vil ified ▁in ▁the ▁media ▁as ▁an ▁" outs ider " ▁from ▁Ch att ano oga ▁who ▁had ▁come ▁to ▁Anderson ▁County ▁to ▁spread ▁his ▁" an arch ist " ▁philosophy . ▁Mon roe ▁was ▁released ▁after ▁serving ▁only ▁two ▁years .