The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-08-11
FIERCE FICHTM PRISON
Murderer Willis, Assisted by Brother,
Tries to Shoot Wayto Freedom
They Fought Like F'tsnhs
Until Shot, Down.
Ons Guard Seriously WosWded.. .rwcnsSssAst
Bullets wers Fired. ~ Z ~

Boston. Aug. li.-He1srrt A. Wutis,
the young bicycle desperate OF Taun-
ton, who was sentenodtito life imprscsa-
ment for the murderrof Fred Strange.
made a boldly -plannsdAand desperate a.
tempt at escape from the state prison at
Charestown yesterday. He was aided
by his brother, EverettSwho. while visit
ang the convict. managed to smugglo
revolver In the prison
The two men openedfnre on Turnkey
Elijah 8. Darlng.> the only man who
stood between the prisoErr and liberty.
3 There were sudden shouts. a rush OF feet,
and a fusilla~le OF pistol shots In the ro-
y tunda- Guard Withamrushed to the DC
Tense of Darling and returned the fire
with deadly effect. Guards Abbott and
Benjamin closed In also.
i,- In a few minutes all aWas over. Thc
Willis brothers lay on. the floor OF the
4 rotunda- Herbert was mDctally wound
X ed. The brave turnkey yeuffered from
o. painful wound. but VIII probably re-
a cover from his hurts
Th The affair was ell oWenanside OF three
minutes but In that 1iTna the rotlnda
y Of the prison. In which willis and hts
brother were converting and from which
tho bold attempt to escape was mads.
.was filled with smoke 6rom the blazing
weapons and when II waE o~er the three
. men lay weltering In their own blood onl
tilR, floor. At the sounded the first shot
the other prison officials rushed to the
ai<l of their comrades, andsAhos arriv-
ing first took part in the ARRAY. one NJ
them firing the fatal shot at Herbert
wallis while graphing witffhm.
The prison hospital yeport says that
Convict Willis cannot live;kthe Massa-
(. chupetts general hospitalssayxthatE Ever
(. EFT Willis may live. and Officer Darling
will live, although increasing inflamma-
/, tion,smay result I'm the loss OF one eye.
: TIE affair caused q tremendous sensa-
tidh In this city.
When Everett b. WINS ccalied at the
prisonon his regular monthly vn5it to his
brother he was granted a pass, and he
went directly to the meeting place In the
rotunda.
His brother, Herbert. the ,mnrderer.
was summoned from the workshop. and
In q few minutes the two were In an
.eArnest conversation, each being seated
irin chairR in the rotunda darectyia front
rof the west wing and In 6saikviewvof the
Officers. Oficer Witham sat downSat the
itable In the center Of the room, where he
ccquld keep a sharp watch OF the pair
vand as another precauticn, oOmcer J. b.
Abbott took q position In archair nearer
Ythe entrance to the rotundn. ,t
Officer Darling stepped up'to thesnen
sand told them that their time was up.
land as soors as he turned his back on
tthem and started toward the center OF
the. ..rotunda We was directly In the tine
scf the other ,offlcers, and that was an
sdoubtedly the time when the revolver
was passed. 'IN an instant the two
brothers, crouching near by, began their
fusillader OF bullets. The convict fired
three shots at 'Oficer Witham, but has
aim was. so pSor that all went wide.
When the nrstN bullet whistled by his
heed. Wftham stopped behind The little
table. at which ne had been sitting and.
while in that position, drew his revolver
and returned, the fire. Ofiicers Abbott
and Darling also ,opened fire. and in a
short space. OF time Officers Benjamin
. and Townsend rushed to the assistance
OF the sOther officers. Nearly rs shots
4 were exchanged between the convict, his
brother sand the ofYisers.
: Officer Townsend was at his desk out
side of the. rotunda when the shooting
bcgan axyd instantly drawing his re-
volver he sprang to the door, opened II.
threw away his door hey, went through
and slammed the door after him. He
threw the key away % that II over
powered the men could not get out AS
he stepped into the rotunda Herbert
Willis, the prisoner, broke from the off,
GERS and rushed across the rotunda
towards the door, while his brother con-
kinued to struggle with the officers.
& The Two Desp~radoes Shot Down.
AS the prisoner. .sprang forward Towns
ired, and willis threw up his arms. and,
pinnng round, staggered toward the
ast side Of the rotunda and fell to the
vh6or. The next instant his brother, who
had now broken from the officers. came
flushing toward Townsend. and before
vhe latter could again raise his revolver
10 fire was upon him, and the two men
vrappled In fierce struggle. Willis had
red his last shot. nut he freed MS right
trm and struck Townsend with his
lmpty revolver. infiicting some painful
ruises. Townsend did not try so hit
ack, but forcing his revolver against
illis' chest fred. the ball passing into
Willis lungs. Almost atrthe same mo-
een outside In the prson and heard the
Ufing, rushed In. and springing toward
be struggling pair discharged his re
Uplver close to Willis head. the bah
assing into the neck behind the car
his ended the struggle. Townsend Lad
bad black eye and a lump as large az
hens egg on the side OF his head where
tillis' revolver had landed, but Is other
se uninjured.
When the firing had ceased and the
icers had recovered somewhat the
ostrate forms of the two brothers were
lind lying on the floor OF the rotunda,
at OF the convict being near the door
viich leads out Into the prison yard and
Rt OF his brother near the door lead
B out into the office. Both men ap-
bred 10 be dying. The convict wns
ken into the prison hospital and his
bther TO the Massachusetts general.
lille the wounded officers were taken
Irooms near by and n doctor was sum