Arizona republican., 1901-11-11
HAD MADE A PROMISE
By Which Several Fugitives From the Leavenworth Federal Prison Escaped-The Capture of Fool ish Sheriff Whom They After ward Used As a Shield Against Pursuing Police.

Topeka. Kan, Nov. 10.-Sheriff Cook
 of this county and Deputy Sheriff Will
 Hams were captured by two of the es-
 capped federal penitentiary convicts this
 afternoon at Pauline. five miles south
 of here, and were held for several
 hours. The convicts then escaped
 through a line of policement, going
 east. At 2:3O this afternoon, near
 Pauline. the farmers learned that con
 victs were in the neighborhood and
 soon had a posse organized and were
 chasing the convicts. The escaped pris-
 oners had no arms or ammunition and
 were compelled to run before the posse.
 The sheriff heard of the condition of
 affairs and started for the scene. He
 came up to the convicts and both off
 cers fired, wounding the men, but not
 disabling them. The convicts then fled
 and ran into the house of a farmer
 named Wooster and the officers fol-
 lowed. Sheriff Cook thought the con VictS ran around the house and hs
 darted through an open door, thinking
 to surprise them at a back door. But instead of this the convictS had gone into the house and as the sheriff ran
 in he fell right into the arms of the
 convicts. He was ordered to give up
 his gun. which he did.
 Deputy Williams had by this time
 reached the house, and not knowing what had happened, he, too, was gath cred in by the convicts. Before he was captured the sheriff had been thought full enough to telephone to Topeka for help.
 Chief Stahl with eight officers hast ened to the scene and arrived ther,. after the other officers had been inn prisoned. Stahl immediately began ne gotiations with the convicts to give up the prisoners and surrender them selves, but they refused. Farmer Wooster then managed to get a gun and made an attack on the convicts.
 but was laid low by a blow from the butt of a revolver.
 The leader of the convicts told Sher- iff Cook that he would be killed if he
 made the slightest move looking to- ward their capture In the meantime the police on the outside were afraid to do anything because of the convicts | threatened to kill the imprisoned of 1 ficers if they did.
 i At o'clock the convicts had man. aged to revive Mrs. Wooster, who had ! tainted from fright, and placed Sher- l if Cook and her in front of them as | shields. They started out, after first | exacting a promise from the sheriff | that he would not permit any of the of I cers to fire al them.
 The prisoners left the house and ! started down the railroad track. They | walked through a cordon of police of | ficers, who could easily have captured | them, but the sheriff had given the convicts his word that they would not | be molested, and they were not. After ! walking some distance the convicts suddenly disappeared through a [ hedge fence, after bidding the officers
 "a mocking farewell.
 | One of the police sergeants in at | tendance said he could have easily | have touched the leading convict with | his hand as he passed The con-
 victs had gotten a good start before the
 officers recovered from their surprise. i Then some of the policemen wanted to pursue them, but the sheriff would not | permit it. he had promised inn
 munity from arrest to the convicts. 1 Two of the convicts are well armed
 with the sheriff's guns. A posses is in pursuit.