Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1901-11-13
OFFICERS FOOLED.
WERE CAPTURED BY THE CON-
VICTS THEY WERE AFTER.
Police Went to the Rescue, but Prisoners
Went Between Their Lines and Escaped
Exciting Scenes Enacted at the Home of
Kansas Farmer.

lOpchdi- NAH, NON. Il .-oneIlH
Cook of this county and Deputy Sheriff
Williams were captured by two es-
capped convicts from the Leavenworth
military prison yesterday afternoon at
Pauline, five miles south of Topeka,
and held prisoners in the farm house
of a man named Wooster for several
a line of police sent from Topeka to
reinforce the sheriff and are now at
large. Both men are slightly wounded
Wooster was badly wounded by one
of the convicts when he tried to fire
on them. Mrs. Wooster and Sheriff
Cook were held before the convicts as
a shield by the prisoners in making
their escape. A posse is in pursuit.
At 2:30 in the afternoon some of the
farmer boys near Pauline learned that
the convicts were in the neighborhood.
Hastily forming posse armed with
target rifles, pistols and clubs they
gave chase. Neither of the convicts
was armed and they were unable to
make stand Later Sheriff Cook and
Deputy Williams arrived. Coming
Jpn the convicts both of the officers
fired wounding the men, but not dis
abin= them.
The convicts then fed through a
small opening in the timber and ran
into the house of Farmer Wooster.
Sheriff Cook telephoned to Topeka for
assistance and then took up the chase
Thinking the convicts had run around
the house Cook darted through the
open door intending to surprise them
at the rear door. But instead of this
the convicts had gone into the house
and the officer almost fell into their
arms.
Sheriff Cook was ordered to give up
his gun, which he did Deputy Will
liams by this time had reached the
house and entered without knowing
what had happened inside. and he, too,
was made captive by the convicts. In
the meantime Chief Stahl Of Topeka
with eight officers were on their way.
They arrived at the Wooster house
about an hour after the officers had
been captured. Chief Stahl immedi-
ately began negotiations with the con-
victs to give UP their prisoners and
to surrender themselves. but the con-
victs only laughed. Farmer Wooster
then managed to get a gun and was
about to make an attack on the con-
victs when one of them laid him low
with the butt of revolver taken from
one of their captives. The convict
broke Wooster right hand and cut an
ugly cash in his head.
One of the convicts told Sheriff
Cook that he would kill him if he made
the slightest move looking toward
their capture. In the meantime the
police officers on the outside had sur
rounded the building but were afraid
to make move for fear that Cook
and Williams would suffer.
Mrs. Wooster had tainted during the
excitement. She finally revived and at
o'clock the convicts placed the wo-
man and Sheriff Cook in front of
them as shields and made for the
door.
Then, after exacting promise from
the sheriff that he would not permit
any Of the officers outside to fire on
them, they started for the open. AS
they left the house. the frightened
farmers wife and the submissive sher-
| iff before them. the convicts passed
between Gordon of police, who could
have easily captured them, and started
for the railroad track. The sheriff
had in turn exacted promise from
the police that they would not modest
the convicts, and they did not
After covering themselves consider
able distance down the track the con-
yicts suddenly disappeared through a
hedge fence, bidding the officers a
mocking farewell. One OF the police
sergeants said later that he could cas-
lily have touched the leading convict
with his hand as he passed.
The convicts had secured good
start before the officers .had recovered
from their surprise. Then some of the
policemen wanted to pursue, but sher-
in Cook would not permit 1t. as he
had promised the conyicts immunity
from arrest
|
A Horton man and his wife signed
articles of separation at half past 8
O'Clock one evening this week In a
La .lL..nl.ln nm.o L.. --l.l...l. M.