Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-09-22
GUARDS SHOT.
Daring Attempt OF ConVic.S to Escape
From the Ohio Pcnitenttany.

N'i-i Nht = ". sept 1t ne most
reclllcsSly daring attempt at escape in
the history of the Ohio penitentiary
was made Thursday. The attempt
was made in broad daylight and in the
face OF the little army Of over 100
guards. Hundreds OF visitors were in
tine institution at the time vet
three prisoners, with drawn re
volvers forced their way past armed
guards, through barred doors. and.
shooting right and left. scattered
Shricking crowds of men and women
and one of the three actually succeeded
in clearing the grounds and reaching
the middle OF the Scioto river before
being captured.
One faithful guard. y T. Duncan. OF
Mt Gilead. is believed TO be diving
from fractured skull. and another.
Ben L. James, of Delaware. is suffering
two flesh wounds. either one of which
would have been fatal had the convict's
aim been slightly truer. Duncan is
the first penitentiary guard To be fatal
~ hurt for the past quarter of cen
fury
The concerted attempt was made a
few minutes after o'clock. that is the
last hour of the day in the pcnitcutiary
shops. The guards are weary from
their days vigil and preparing to give
way 20 the night shift
The three couvictS two Of them life
men. William Clark. OF Cleveland. and
VIM. I. Bolts. of Toledo. and the third
VIM. Pulley. Texas highwayman-
were at work in the broom shop. away
at the north of the grounds Only two
guards were ON duty there. Duncan and
l.. q. Cole. Clark asked Guard Duncan
To look at hole i'm the floor. rs the un-
suNpccting guard stopped TO do SO Clarl,
fractured his skull with "a piece of gas
pipe. and. as the man fell. grabbed his
revolver, from his pocket The three
convict~ ran the whole length OF the
shop and while Clark held up Guard
Cole. Bolts. with the gaspipc smashed
the lid OF the wooden box on
Cole, desk and took ou, coles
revolver. Meanwhile, Pultcy hauled
cut two short ladders. which
the couSpirutor, had hidden i'm
the shop and -pliccd them together
with broom wire. Pulley and Eott,
ran L" the north wall and put up the
double ladder II was ten feet too
short. and on the parapct stood a guard
with a rifle This ought To have ended
the attempt. but it didn't.
When the cousPiratorS saw they
couldn escape this way and started
for the front office. nc failed to give
the alarm and cody went ON patrolling
his section OF wall. Pulley. the Texan.
saw the usclc,>ucN~ OF trying To escape
10y force. surrendered to Guard Cole.
Only "a man uN wildly reckless as Clark.
the Cleveland murderer. is by rcputa-
ton and proved himself to bc Thursday
would have dreamed of daring the at
tempt To force his way through the
guards at the front entrance. Bott
simply followed The pcnitentiary
enclosure was fun of visitors. who
had come 90 town To see the franklin
ton centennial This favored the plan.
II seems incredible. but without in
reference the two life men walked the
whole length OF the enclosure TO the
front buildings.
capt. NJ Il. NaNby, who was i'm charge
of the guard room had stepped ont
through the iron door to the space be
tween the two sets OF doors. called the
bull pen. The conyicts rappcd
with the iron l.nocl,cr. as everybody
does who goes in or out. Guard Jones
pulled the lever. The next moment
Clark and Bolts were in the bull pcn.
one pointing his revolver at James. the
other at Capt. Saxbv. Bolts turned To-
go through the iron door into the
gudrdroom. and. as hc did. sax
10y lcapct ON him and SO did
Guard Dan Eranlslau,.r Bott. fired