The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-19
HIS COMPANION TAKEN.
He Was Within Twenty Feet of
the Officers, but Dodged
Into the Brush.
sHERIFFs ON THE LOOKOUT.
His Capture Considered a Matter of
Only a Few Hours
Work.

SEATTLE, Wash, March 1S.-Thomas
Blanck, murderer and jailbreaker, is still
at large, although pursued by fully 500
men armed with shotguns and Winchester
| rifles. Fickle fortune seems to smile on
the bold desperate, for by a most mirac-
ulous chain of circumstances he escaped
yesterday morning, a few moments
after II o'clock, from the very muz-
zles of rifle and shotgun in
the hands of Michael Kelly and Dick
Burkman at a point about half mile
south of Black River Junction where the
Northern Pacific main lines and the
county road cross. The officers could
have killed him like dog, but, being in
dense darkness and in ignorance of the
persons they had before them, they re-
Trained from firing, only to learn moment
later that the prize of a lifetime had m ade
his escape a second time.
Blanck and Rutten,g the Kitsap mur-
derers, were making their way along the
county road, when they came upon Kelly
and Burkman.
kilograms had been sent to Black
River junction, Orillia, Kent and Auburn
reused the inhabitants. Michael Kelly
and Dick Burkman were sent south from
this city and quickly driven to point
near Jergesons Hill, where the county
road crosses the Northern Pacific track.
Suddenly in the darkness they heard foot
steps.
81 guess we had better hold these fellows
up" said Burkman. Soon the misty forms
of tall man and apparently big boy ap.
peared. When within twenty feet the Off
GERS called out, Throw up your handsp'
The tall man did as commanded, but the
other fellow only put up his right hand
part way and commenced tagging behind.
Throw up your hands there!'' cried out
Kelly:
my hands are up" was the reply.
mo, they are not" replied Kelly, ''and
If you don't obey the command and keep
coming, l will put hole through you
At this point the tall man, who seemed
to be looking at Burkman's gun, crossed in
front of Kelly, and the young fellow sud-
denly made a dodge, and like a snake,
plunged into the bushes at the west side
of the road. The tall man, however,
walked directly up to Burkman, who de-
manded to know Immediately where he
came from.
81 came from the County Jail, was the
reply that came like shot on the officers.
"Who was that man with your"
"It was Tom Blanck."
"Hold this man." cried Burkman to
Kelly, and then he dashed to the place
where the man had disappeared. The
river, only short distance below the spot,
ran quietly. There was no splash. Not
even dry twig snapped to give warning
of the location of the only Blanck.
The officers stood silent listening for
some clew, but it never came. Rutten was
then hurried to Orillia, the next station
south, in hopes of keeping Blanck between
Seattle and that place, but despite the most
thorough search by parties coming to a
central point at Black River Junction from
all roads. no trace of him was found.
The supposition is that after ducking
into the bushes he went back up the
county road about so rods, went up on
the side hill into dense timber, where he
could watch all the parties in the valley
below. All avenues of escape are covered,
and trouble is looked for within the next
twelve hours. Cosgrove is in jail, and it
is thought that Williams is under arrest at
Puyallup.