Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-22
A VERY CLEVER RUSE
Three Kansas oonvicts Plan an
Escape.
THEY USE WOODEN UEyOLvERS'
Guards Discover tho Deception and Fight
Follows -Ono Convict Wounded--Two
Make Good Their Escape.

properties In plot devised by three |
conNlcls ITO escape from the coad mine |,
and the walls OF the Kansas pendbn,
diary yesterday AFTERNOON. Samuel
Smith, train robber Rrd murderer, re-
ceNed u bullet wound through his
head from temple TO temple, and the |
other Two Gre 1Dlll at large. They are
armed, ready to kill pulsuers, burt this
morning their capture seems improb-
able.
Samuel Smith and Il. i. Estell, UNI
der sentence OF death, and BenJnmin
Craven, undcu sentence OF TWEEN
ty YEARS for tNOn robbery,
captured A. Huyskc, the bottom
oiiicer AT the Kamsns pcnilentary conl
shaft about three o'cuock yesterday
afternoon. They presented Two dunn
my revolvers 40 his head and demand
ed his surrender. The revolyers were
tenImches long, made of wood and
painied so that they looked Nike real
revolyers, The dummy weapons had
Black handles, revolving cylinders, and
parts Of the wood resembled polished
steel Only by the testing of the
weight could the deception be detect
ed.
When Guard Huyske surrendered
the convlcts tied his hands with wire
taken from the bales Of hay sent down
for the mine mules, Then the con-
ylcis signaled the engineer that they
be hCi,lted to the top, giving the signal
thaIt an injured man was coming up
OH the cage and asking for Il slow
passage. On reaching the top the
cooked dummy reyoyers were flashed
| In the face of w. II. Douglas, the top
guard, and he, too, surrendered. Mel
ther the mine nor top officers within
the walls curry firearms, and believing
the dummy revolyers to be real, there
was no alternative left for the guards.
The two captured guards were forced
| to march i'm front of the three con
vicIts to the gate Lending out of the
west side of the main yard, which
was opened by tower guard, who
supposed all was we'll when the OIL
GERS were quietly walking In 'FRONT.' OF
the prisoners. Once outside the con-
Nlcts directed the captured guards to
approach NJ. II. Hewitt, an outpost
guard. He suspected nothing until the
conyicts pounced ON him and took
away his Winchester and pistol and
ammunition belt.
On obtaining genuine flre7orms the
conNicts left the three unarmed
guards and started on u run. This att
| a.. I,kt - lao M
post guards and shots were fired to
stop the prisoners, Deputy Warden
| William Thompson and others In the
main pemtentiary buildings heard the
shots and Joined in the chase. In a
lame, about u quarter of u mile west
of the prison, "a sharp fight took place
between the escaping convlcts and the
| prison officers.
Deputy Warden Thompson got with
I'm close range OF the convicts, and II
liz said that he fred the shot that
| passed Through the head Of Convict
| Smith. Valentine Swartz, guard,
was hit three times with bullets, once
| in each leg and on the left arm. All
are flesh wounds.
When Smith fell the other two con-
| vlcts left him and ran until they
gained cornfeld. The officers chased
them out Of this into n strip Of tim
Der and managed to surround them
about dark. The officers and the con
vlctslin the timber exchanged shots
twice druing the early part of the
| might. 1T was decided TO keep close
watch and not attempt to drive the
convlcts out of the timber until day
Night. This morning, however, the
| prisoners could not be found,
Some of the guards are still watch-
| ing the timber while Others are rid
ing over the country ON horseback,
travelling I'm pairs.
Smith is still alive, but the physi.
clans say there Is no possibility of his
recovery,
The oldest officials at the Kansas
penitenbiary were astonished at the
boldness and cumming of the plan OF
escape. All the prisoners in it have
bad records. Smith first came TO the
Kansas penltentlnry from Sumner
county in February, 1893, under a
years sentence for grand larceny. He
broke away from am outside guard
June "a, 1898, stole % horse from n
farmer in Ndirmount township and
rode to Butler county, where he took
part In the robbery Of train and
killed man. He was then convicted
of murder and brought back to the
penitentiary under the sentence Of
death i'm December Of the same year.
He HAS been worked in the coal mine
since.
Estell was arrested for robbery and
placed in the Marshal county jail
He broke Jail and was about to be
captured in Morris county, when he
killed guard aIt The bridge He came
to the penitcn.tiary under sentence
10 be hanged.
Craven was sent In from ChOutnu-
otpa county under a 'twentyyear sem
fence for Highway robbery.
Deputy Warden Thompson led the
fight in the lane and showed great
courage Almost year ago he nearly