The morning call., 1891-08-21
A WARDEN'S PERIL.
Captured by Desperate State
Prison COnYiCtS.
Bold Attempt to Escape From The Wash
inStOn Penitentiary.
With Drawn Knives at His Throat the War
den Is Compelled to Submit.
Led to Their Death.
srecial to The MORNING CALL.

| WALLA WALLA, Aug. 20.-A desperate
attempt was made at the penitentiary to-
| day by convicts to escape, in which two
prisoners were killed and one wounded
| The break was frustrated only by the
bravery of Warden McClees and the cool
ness of lis guards. There were about
135 men in the brick yard, when
train came in with material. A
plot had been arranged among about forty
prisoners to make break for liberty. Four
| men seized Warden McClees and four more
Jumped into the locomotive. The engineer,
before he was thrown off, reversed his en-
CINE and put on full head OF
steam. This sent the locomotive in an
opposite direction and spoiled the original
plan. The locomotive crashed through the
gate and was stopped by the ditching Of the
cars. In the meantime Warden McClees.
with sharp knives at his throat, was being
carried forward to open the opposite gate.
Before reaching the gate two of the men
were shot by one of the guards.
The men killed were William Gleason,
sent up last year from Seattle for thirteen
years for robbery and attempted murder,
and j Ohm Morris, also sent up for seven
years from Seattle for robbery. They and
Latina, the murderer, were the leaders of
the crowd.
THE wARDEN's BRAVERY.
Before the Coroner's jury this evening
Warden McCleeS gave the following account
of the riot: This afternoon at l o'clock an
engine came in with a load of wood and
flour and coupled on two of the empty cars.
When this was done l told them 10 clear
the track. l waited until the engine
had backed nearly to me and spoke
was caught from behind by four men, two
of whom l know. They told me to throw
up my hands or l was IA dead man. | said
Hold on, boys; no one will be hurt BY
this time the engine had started back. Two
| men had jumped on the engine from my
side. The four men then started with me
toward the east gates, which were closed
after tile engine came in.
TWO CoNVICTs SHOT DOWN
"In going toward the gate Gleason aid
most OF the talking, and said | must have
the guard throw his gun down. or was
dead man. said to keep cool, as no one
was scared or hurt l said, Come on. we
will go up there and marched along
with them toward the gate They held
their knives displayed in front of ME. The
two behind let 60 Of me when we were half
way to the gate, but l did not see those
men at all. They marched me up toward
the gate. Gleason continuing to threaten me
if the guard did not throw down his
gun. When we were within thirty
feet OF the fence l ordered VIII Swash,
the guard, to keep cool, as he held his gun
as though he would shoot all three. When
within fifteen feet of Guard Berry, Gleason
said, Make him drop that gun or down you
co. His knife was still at my throat.
l said, Keep COOL and he was then
shot down by Phil Berry. 1 then tried to
capture the other man, who escaped from
me. He ran twenty or twenty-five feet
when he was shot. AT the report he turned
once and started to run again. Berry shot
him down. He still had knife In his
hand.
"The orders to the guards are in case
of trouble to shoot and prevent escape at
all hazards. l think about thirty convicts
were involved in the demonstration. There
were 135 men in the yard. don't go around in
the yard, as l do not think il safe
Gleason said Make him throw that gun in
here meaning inside the stockade. / did
not think had any chance of escape alive,
and knew that when l led the men toward
the gate, if the guard kept cool, both
Gleason and Morris were the same as dead
men,