Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-01-27
Mob Takes Recaptlred Prisoner
from The Officers
THOMAS REYNOLDS HANGED
Was One OF the nurdcrer OF Capt.
VIM. q. Rooney Blood h ounds
After Fugitive.

Canyon City, Colo, Jan. 27-Thomas
Reynolds, the convict who with three
others escaped from the penItendary
after numbering Night Capt. William
G. Rooney, was captured last night near
Florence, ten miles cast Of Canyon
City, and brought TO the latter place In
a wagon. where he was taken from
the officers By a mob and hanged to a
telegraph pole.
Night Capt Of Police Conner at Flor
ence assisted by Policeman Powell,
made The capture on the bridge OF the
Florence and Cripple Greek railroad.
near Florence.
When word was sent to Canyon City
OF the capture. special train with
seven guards and a bloodhound we're
dispatched to the scene. In the mean
time Capt. Conner had started over
land with Reynolds. Immediately on
receipt Of the news at Canyon City. the
fire bells began 10 ring and the town
was out Ell masse.
1t was just 1916 when the carriage
carrying the bound form Of the muir
derer crossed the First street bridge
under a guard OF four armed men.
As the carriage passed beneath the
electric light at the center OF the bridge
dark forms emerged from the darkness
at either end, closing in rapidly and
silently. Before the guard compre-
hended what was intended. they were
overpowered and disarmed. Not a
sound broke the stiffness. There were
several hundred men in the crowd, but
apparently not one had a weapon.
The doomed man was dragged from
the vehicle, and had no more than
struck the ground when a moose was
slipped around his neck and he was
led TO the nearest telephone pole. A
man climbed the pole. and throwing
me rope over the cross-arm. shouted.
pull away" Immediately the moose
frightened under the chin Of the con-
Wet.
Before he was lifted from his feet
an opportunity was given him to make
statement lie made no offer to
speak, and the signal was given and
Reynolds was jerked into eternity, He
was game 10 the last He went into
the air without murmur. II was then
that a shout broke from the mob.
When Reynolds was being bound in
Florence, II is said he asked the guard
TO put a bullet through him before
turning MIN over 10 the citizens OF
Canyon City
Warden Hoyt was helpless He had
sent MS best men 10 Florence, retain
ing only enough at the prison 10 guard
IL mere. Expecting Reynolds to be
Drought IN on the special train In
charge OF Deputy Warden Sargent. he
mad stationed extra guards at the de-
pot 10 render aid In case an attempt
was made TO take the prisoner All
the guards he could have mustered.
however. would have been powerless
against the mob OF determined men.
IL is stated that Wagner. another
escaped convict was with REYNOLDS
when he was first discovered, but he
escaped
Reynolds and Wagner with Antoine
WoOde and kid" Wallace. made their
escape from the penitenuary last Mon.
day night. Elaborate plans had been
made for a general delivery OF the
prisoners. but II was frustrated by the
action Of one OF the guards, who sue
oeeded In giving the alarm. Night
Capt Rooney was stabbed 10 death
and two other guards had been over
powered and bound, when the alarm
was given and the four convcts made
hasty escape without liberating their
fellow prisoners. Wednesday aight
Woode and Wallace who are mere
boys, were captured near Victor. Rey-
nolds is understood TO be the man who
stabbed Capt, Rooney, Wagner holding
the officer
dispatch from Pueblo. dated NJ
l;l0 this morning. says: Word has
Just been received here that Sheriff
Beaman, with two bloodhounds from
this city, has struck Wagners trail at
Swallows, eleven miles west OF here,
and is coming this way"