The Fremont County record. [volume] (Canon City, Colo.) 1877-18??, 1881-12-31
A BAD BREAK.
Four convicts Escape with Ten
Horses from the State
Penitentiary.

our citizens were Qutetiy enjoying
their Christmas holiday, they were
surprised by the report that num-
ber of convicts in the penitentiary
had made their escape. At first the
number reported was much exagger.
ated. On inquiry from the prison
officials it was learned that the num-
ber escaping was only four, and that
they took with them ten of the large
norman horses belonging to the peni-
tentiary. The manner of their es-
cape is as follows: Five teams and
and nine prisoners, known as "trus-
tics" whose terms had nearly ex-
pired, were sent out to the coal mines
for coal. When they arrived at a
, suitable place near the coal mines
four of them, who appeared to have
had an understanding, halted and
commenced to unhiich the horses.
They commanded the other five to
help them when one OF them refused
aud offered some resistance. He was
knocked on The heal with fevOlyer
and further resistance being useless
3lkn~sooAnouodt - 3ou1e e3ao>A1n -
spiracy to escape then mounted four
of the horses and started over the
Green Horn range towards ROsita,
leading the other six horses The
five prisoners who refused to go
with them returned to the prison
about five O'Clock and reported the
matter. Prompt steps were taken
to follow the fugitives, but as it was
then nearly dark they had > good
start with all night to gain distance
from their pursuers. Early next
morning Deputy Warden Dueber,
with q posse of the guards and Depu-
~ Sheriff, Paul Ross, struck the trail
leading in the direction stated and
found five of the valuable horses,
which the thieves had abandoned in
the range east of the Wet Mountain
Valley. So far as the trail had been
followed it indicated that they were
heading for the San Luis Valley
across the Sangre de Christie range.
south of Rosita. As the prison Of
ficials are in hot pursuit and tele-
graphic dispatches have been sent to
doubt but they will be recaptured,
been offered for their capture by
The names of the escaping prison.
ers are John Perrin. Chas. A. Giles,
John Diamond and Fred Armstrong.
The most remarkable feature about
their escape is that all their terms of
Imprisonment had nearly expired.
One of them had only twenty dsys
more to serve, two of them had four
months and one five months. Ii re-
captured they win lose all the time
allowed for good conduct, and will
have to serve year longer in ad-
dition to whatever penalty they may
incur in stealing the horses. From
the fact that their terms had so near
~ expired, there seems to be no
doubt but their object was to steal
the horses and thus make stake to
enable them to get away south. They
had all been convicted Of stealing and
are NO doubt thieves by instinct and
inclination.
That the Escape was deliberately
planned by thc four, is evident from
the fact that they had secured two
revolvers by some means, probably
from confederates ON the outside.
They were thus enabled TO bulldoze
the other prisoners, aud will, no
doubt, rob any one they may meet on
their way. The opportunity the So
called ''trusties" have for getting
possession of arms while working
outside is a serious matter and may
lead to deplorable consequences. The
horses stolen are all largo normans
weighing from 1900 to HOO each aud
worth from $500 to $500 piecc.
LATER.
Since the above was written tele-
graph dispatches announce that the
Remaining five horses had been
abandoned by the fusitives and had
been captured by the pursuing party,
about twenty miles south of Pueblo.
The hcrsea were pretty well used up
and unable to 90 further. The pnr-
suing party con4isting of eight men
heavily armed were hot on the trail
and were rsportesl to have been with
In half an hour OF tho thieves. There
is NO doubt but they will be captured
aud then their agony will 5sSsn-
They will probably be subjaetsd 20
the cold water treatment and will
/ have 10 serve out their foll tina
without any allowance Il wns q
bad break for them.