The San Francisco call., 1897-09-03
PERA4E
CRIMINALS
IN REVOLT
Daring Break for Liberty at
the Branch County
JOSEPH THERON THE LEADER.
The Man Who Liberated Brugge,
the Santa Rosa Murderer,
in Trouble.
COWED BY The GUARDS RIFLES.
Five Convicts and a Trusty in Soli-
tary Confinement as a Result
of the Episode.
CONED BY The GUARDS RIFLES

Five desperate convicts made a break
for liberty at the Branch County Jail yes
terday noon and would have succeeded in
escaping TO the hills had 1t not been for
the vigilance of the guards, whose sharp
speaking Winchesters halted the men be-
fore they had reached the fence.
The leader of the outbreak, which had
every evidence of being carefully planned,
was Joseph Theron, desperate criminal,
who assisted Brugge, the Santa Rosa mur-
derer. TO esca pc at the time he took French
leave of the Sonoma County ba stile.
Theron recently completed five years
sentence for his share in that exciting
episode.
Theron was sentenced a short time
since to nine months imprison menS in
the branch Jail for assault with a deadly
weapon and had been troublesome
prisoner. On Monday Captain Clarkson
learned that he had been seen manufac.
turing a blackjack, and fearing that he
premeditated an assault on the guards in
order to escape, instructed the TRUSTEES
not to allow him outside the main build
ing on any pretext
The plan mad evidently gone further
than was antlcirated, however, for at
noon yesterday Theron, with Convicts
McElroy, Sullivan, Mahoney and Irish"
Brody, made a daring rush for freedom.
BY some means Theron obtained the
key that opened the cells of those who
chose to make the break with him, and he
soon had them in the open air. The
tiusty who carried the keys asserts that
Theron snatched them from his hands,
but there is shrewd suspicion that he
was rewarded for giving them up and
that he was in the scheme to give Theron
and his csnfederates their liberty.
The instant they were outside the build
ing the convicts seized a ladder that is
used to repair and clean tho electric
lights and, running with the cum Der so me
support, made full speed for the nigh
fence that surrounds the grounds OF the
jail.
They had hardly got clear of the build
ing when Guards Winthrop and Gavin
spied them, and rifles began to speak at
once.
The first shots did not stop the convicts,
but as the guards gagged the distance and
the bullets began TO spatter about them
their ardor was cooled and they began to
slacken t. cir pace.
By this time Captain Harrington of the
guards was attracted 10 the scene by the
reports of the rifles and he quickly cov-
cred the men and ordered them to throw
mp their hands.
Theron was at first inclined to resist,
but be saw death in the mnzzle Of the
f1e and reluctantly and suIlenly threw
up his hands and walked back to the
frowning Jail building, where he is to
spend the nextyear.
Captain Ciarkson, the superintendent,
made thorough investigation of the cir
cumstances surrounding the break, and
ordered the five men who made the break
with the trusty into solitary confinement
until he shall have reason to believe that
they will behave.
The men who made the break are among
the most hardened men in the Jail and
their plans had evidently been carefully
matured, as they chose time when many
of the guards were at lunch and they
would be least liable to be observed. Only
the vigilance of those on watch prevented
jail delivery of greater magnitude than
has occurred in many years. Captain
Clarkson stated last night that the Jail
was quiet, and that he did not anticipate
more trouble.