The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-10
WILD FIGHT IN JAIL
Daring Effort to Rescue
Desperate Willis at
CharlestoWn, Mass.
ARRANGED BY HIS BROTHER
Murderer Likely to Die and Res
cuer Badly Hurt-Jail
Guards Shot.

BOSTON, Aug. 10, 1S97.-While attempt
ing to escape from the State Prison, at
Charlestown just before noon today,
Herbert Willis, the young Taunton des-
perado, who was recently sentenced to
life Imprisonment for the murder of Fred
N. Strange, was fatally injured, and his
brother, Edward, who assisted him in
his break for liberty, was seriously
wounded by the guards Two of the lat
ter were wounded by the Willis brothers.
who tried to shoot their way out with re-
volvers, which Edward Willis, the muir
derer's brother. had brought with him
on visit to the prisoner.
Everett Willis was removed to the
Massachusetts General Hospital, where it
head and neck.
Herbert Willis, the murderer, who is In
the prison hospital, was shot twice in the
head. The two guards who were hurt
were Turnkey F. F. Darling, who was
shot in the thigh and cut about the head,
and Yard Officer Abbott, who was also
injured about the head by blows, thought
to have been delivered with the revolvers
in the hands of the desperadoes-
Edward Willis arrived at the prison
this forenoon to pay monthly visit to
his brother. He was admitted by the
usual officials, and Willis, the murderer,
was escorted to the guard room to meet
his relative. At the time Officer Edward
Whitman and Turnkey Darling were in
the rotunda with Yard officer Abbott,
Officer Townsend and others nearby.
Five other visitors were in the rotunda
at the time. A man, two men and two
childen. The brothers Willis had been
conyersing in a low tone, sitting apart
from the others in the guard room for
about half an hour, when Officer Whit
ham saw the visitor pass a revolver to
his brother, and together they sprang to-
wards Turnkey Darling, their intention
evidently being to secure his keys.
Witham rushed to Darling's assistance
and as he did so the Willis brothers
opened fire. One of the bullets struck
Darling in the thigh. Seeing the desper-
ate nature of the affair Witham re-
turned the shots, but missed and officer
Abbott, who came through the door into
the guard room at the same instant, saw
trouble and grappled with Everett Will
lis. Both brothers, who had been beat
ing Darling, began to pound Abbott. Off
Ger Townsend from the office door, then
fired a shot, which penetrated the neck
of Willis, and second later, officer Ben
jamin, who was on duty in one of the
wings, fired shot through the bars,
wounding Willis in the head.
Meanwhile, Herbert Willis had been
jumping around in lively fashion, firing
repeated shots from his revolver, to which
the officials responded. using great care
not to hit the other visitors. A shot from
the revolver of officer Whitman took eff
feet in the head, while one from Dar-
lirg's found lodgment in the back of the
head.
The murderer was then secured and
removed from the scene. Edward Willis
was also taken away, and the officers,
nearly all of whom bore some mark of
the affair, were given prompt medical at
tention.
1t is thought none of them will suffer
seriously, except, possibly. Darling, who
is of advanced age. The bullet which
struck him in the thigh passed COM
pletely through the limb and is considered
dangerous in view of the possibility of
blood poisoning.
At two o'clock, this afternoon, it was
learned from the prison authorities, that
the murderer was in a precarious con-
dition as a result of his wounds, and
that there was little hope that he could
survive His brother, though seriously
wounded, it is thought. has a chance of