The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-06-28
A BOLD BREAK FOR FREEDOM
The Desperate Deed Of CGnViGls al
Folsom Prison.
NONE SUCCEED IN lslAPINe
Three of Their /. u,nb.r killed md M the
others Wounded in Ba ,ie with
the Guards.
Associated Press.

Associated Press.
Sacramento Call June 27-At 1880
this afternoon, at Folsom, a gang of
convicts. consisting of George Sontag,
his cousin John Sontag, the bandit,
life-timers Russell Williams, Ben Will
son and Charles Abbott, and ten
year convict named Dalton, sudden
ly seized Frank Briare, lieutenant Of
the guards. put a pistol to his head
and started together to run up the hill.
Before reaching the top Of the hill 1t
was developed that they had two Win
chesters and an additional revolver,
which had been concealed among the
rocks. Up to this time the guards had
been unable to shoot, as Briare was in
the grasp of the would-be escapes,
who were so closely banded together
that q shot might mean death to him.
Just before reaching the summit of the
hill, Briare jerlxed away and the guards
opened fire from all directions. The
convicts took to the rocks and con-
cealed themselves as best they could,
and returned the fire as rapidly as pos
sible. The regular guard was soon re-
inforced by reserves fom the prison,
and terrible fight took place, which
lasted half an hour. After about thir-
ty minutes one of the convicts held up
his hat ON rifle as token of sur
render, and Warden Aull, Captain Muir
ply and a few guards advanced to the
convict's stronghold, where they found
Williams, Wilson and Dalton stretched
dead on the ground. George Sontag
was badly wounded by three or four
bullets. He had one bad shot through
the body and two through the thigh.
Abbott was groaning with broken leg
At the beginning of the fight two pris-
oners were wounded, but were imme-
diately carried into the prison by other
convicts. None of the prisoners es-
capped nor were any of the guards in
jured In the scrimmage.
This outbreak was not unexpected.
About three months ago the warden re-
ceived reliable information that Evans
and John Sontag and their friends
were about to make an attempt to car
ry the prison by storm and release
George Sontag. without making any
fuss about It, or even notifying the Of
ficers, with the exception of Captain
Murphy and Deputy Warden f-u.he5,
Warden Aull prepared to receive com
pany. Several picked men from vdri-
rious parts of the state were sent for
and placed in responsible positions
new guns and pistols were distributed,
and in fact everything was put in or
der for desperate fight.
The killed are as follows; A. Dalton,
five years for burglary in the first de-
gree, San Francisco; Harry Wilson,
twenty years, burglary, Solano county;
Frank williams, United States con-
Wet, life, San Francisco. The wound
ed are George Contant, alias Sontag,
life, robbery, Fresno county, right leg
badly broken in two places, and the
left leg wounded in the thigh; will lose
his leg and probably his life; Charles
Abbott, life, MURDER San Francisco,
shot in the thigh, ankle broken and
several shots about the body and face.
The two men wounded accidentally
were Thomas Schell, San Francisco,
fatally shot through the abdomen;
Joseph Duffy, San francisco, flesh
wound in the leg.