The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-11-29
Ben Cravens Escapes from the
Kansas penitentlary.

Press dispatches give the following
account of the escape of Ben Cravens,
son Of Mr.. B. B. Cravens, of near Line.
vile from the Kansas penitentiary
ut Lansing, Kansas, on last Friday
afternoon:
"Samuel Smith and Il. +. Estell under
sentence of death, and Benjamin Cra-
yens, under sentence of 20 years for rob-
berv, captured A. Huyske the bottom
officer at the Kansas penitentiary coal
shaft, about clock Friday afternoon.
They presented two dummy reyolvers
at his head and demanded his surrender.
The revolvers were 10 inches long, made
of wood and painted so that they look
ed like real revolvers. The dummy
weapons had black handles, revolving
cylinders, and parts of the wood resem-
bled polished steel. Only by testing
the weight could the deception be de-
tected.
when Guard Huyske surrendered
the convicts tied his hands with wire
taken from bales of hay sent down for
the mine mules. Then the ccnvicts
sgnalled the engineer that they be
hoisted to the top, giving the signal
that an injured man was coming up on
the cage and asking for slow passage
On reaching the top the cooked dummy
reviewers were flashed in the face Of W..
H. Douglas, the top guard, and he, too
surrendered. Neither the mine nor
top officers within the walls carry fire
arms, and believing the dummy revolv-
ers to be real, there was no alternative
left tor the guards. The two captured
guards were forced to march in front of
the three conviets to the gate leading
out of the west side Of the main yard,
which was opened by tower guard,
who supposed all was we'll when the
oficers were quietly walking in front of
the prisoners, Once outside the con-
yicts directed the captured guards to
approach NJ. A. Hewitt, an outpost
guard. He suspected nothing until the
convicts bounced upon him and took
away his Winchester and pistol and am
mupition belt.
"On attaining genuine fire arms the
convicts left the three unarmed guards
and started on run. This attracted
the attention of other outpost guards
and shots were fred to stop the prison.
ers. Deputy Warden William Thomp.
son and others in the main penitentiary
buildings heard the shots and Joined in
the chase. In lane about quarter of
mile west Of the prison sharp fight
took place between the escaping con-
victs and the prison otfeers.
'Deputy Warden Thompson got with
in close range of the convicts, and it is
SAID that he fired the shot that passed
through the head of Convict Smith.
Valentine Swartz, guard, was hit three
times with bullets, once in each leg and
once on the left arm. All are flesh
wounds.
when Smith fell the other two con.
victs left him and ran until they gain
ed a cornield. The officers chased
them out OF this into strip of timber
and managed to surround them about
dark. The officers and eonyicts in the
timber exchanged shots twice duri ng the
early part of the night. 1t was decided
to keep close watch and not attempt
to drive the convicts out Of the timber
until day light. Saturday morning,
however, the prisoners could not be
found.
Friday night the two convicts, Cravens
and Estelle, evaded the officers and hid
in a barn several miles from the peni.
Tertiary. A woman discovered them
the barn. She started for neighbor'
and met some Of the prison guards,