The record-union., 1893-07-01
PAPER BULLETS.
An Absurd Story About the Late
Prison Break
To the Effect That Warden AulI Had
Planned the Whole Thing
Papier Mache Bullets.

\ dispatch from Folsom to San Fran
cisco paper presents the State Prison out
break in new light, and a very absurd
one. A story has been told by man by
the name of Thompson to the effect that
the weapons used by the convicts had
been supplied by the prison authorities.
The story went that Warden Aull, know
ing that Fredericks, the man suspected of
getting the weapons, had gone to Visalia.
caused to be written from that town in
Fredericks' name letter to Sontag. The
letter said that on the 2Gth two rifles and
two pistols would be concealed in the
quarry. Then the Warden, to encourage
the outbreak, had the guns put there; but
all the cartridges were loaded with papier
mache bullets, and that accounts for the
convicts not hitting any of the guards.
1t Is needless TO say that the story is
positively denied by Warden AuL. Its
absurdity is apparent when the fact ix
taken into consideration that the bags of
cartridges found in the possession of the
fighting convictS show that they contain
leaden bullets.
II the mysterious and sensational Mr.
Thompson had thought to add that the
knife used by one of the convicts had also
been made OF paper, or that they had used
guards, the story could not have been
more absurd.
Had the author of the silly dispatch
been "onto himself" as the saying goes
he would not have inflicted such a fake
even on a sensational paper. 1t is simply
q matter OF history that one shot that Son
tag fired at Prigmore tore through the
frame of the guardhouse and another
penetrated the roof There are nine great
bullet holes in the guardhouse across the
canal, and several bullets are imbedded
IN the hall. Bullets from the convicts
guns were seen to strike the ground
across the river during the fight.
PROBABLE ORIGIN OF THE YARN.
1t was known to Warden Aull some
months ago that there was talk of Evans
and Sontag coming this way and making
an effort to release George Sontag. The
Warden said yesterday that he made up
his mind to be ready for the visitors if
any movement of the kind should be
made
Having learned" he said. 'that they
were plotting to get plan of the prison
guard posts, | made one out and saw that
they got it. How 1 got it to them is no.
body's business, but they didn't know it
came from me. pointed out the weak
est spot for an attack in the plan, and
then quietly proceeded to see that it was
the strongest
Asked why he didn't lock up George
Sontag and the others, he answered:
well, didn't know for certainty that
the attack would ever be made at ALL and
couldn't tell who were to take part in it,
II locked up any l should have TO lock
up the whole 700 men. All / could do
was to get ready for an attack or break
that might be made by anybody"
MYSTERIOUS VISITORS.
Renewed interest has been added to
the affair of Tuesday bU Iirt1a
that occurred on Thursday. About day
light Guard Sevey espied two men on the
hill opposite the prison. At first he sup
posed them to be guards, but soon dis
covered they were strangers.
Sevey notified Deputy Warden Hughes,
and the latter sent Captain Lamphrey
with detachment of guards to hunt the
men down and bring them in if possible
But the mysterious visitors disappeared
as suddenly as they had come, and al
though the country for miles about was
searched they could not be found.
Whether they were there for the pur-
pose OF planting opium or arms for con-
Vlcts, or whether they were travellers
who accidentally found themselves at the
prison walls before they knew where
they were at" is something that is not
yet known.
Watchman Ferguson, at the lumber
boom up the river from the prison saws
he heard the voices of two men in the
hills near there on Wednesday night.
While he could not make out all thew
said what he did hear led to the belief
that they had lost their bearings. They
may have been looking for the prison
grounds, or for the public road leading to
Folsom
AT all events this incident, coming on
the heels of the late outbreak, has given
rise to all sorts of speculation, and until
the mystery is solved, or becomes for
gotten, it will serve to keep alive interest
IN the big event of the week.