The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-11-14
TWO OFFICERS Held
Escaped Convicts Turn Tables
On Their PursEerS.
UNIQUE COUP IS PERFORATED
Sheriff and His Deputy Compelled to
Promise immunity In Order
to Gain Their Own
Liberty.

A Topeka, Kans, special says: Sher-
if Cook and deputy Sheriff Williams
were captured by TWO convicts from
the Fort Leavenworth military prison
Sunday afternoon at Pauline, five miles
south Of Topeka and held prisoners
on the farm of a man named Wooster
for several hours. They finally escap-
cd between q line OF police sent from
Topeka to reinforce the sheriff and are
now at large. Both were slightly
wounded. Wooster was badly wound
ed by one Of the convioss when he
tried to fire on them. Mrs. Wooster
and Sheriff Cook were held before the
conyicts as shield by the prisoners In
making their escape.
At 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon
some farmer boys near Pauline learn
ed that the convicts were in the
neighborhood. Hastily forming a
posse, armed with target rifles, pistols
and clubs they gave chase Neither
of tho convicts was armed and they
were unable to make stand. Later
| Sheriff Cook and Deputy Williams ar
| rived. Coming upon the convicts, boil
| Of the officers fred, wounding the men,
but not disabling them.
The convicts then fed through a
small opening in the timber and ran
| into the houze 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 darte- through the
open door, intending to surprise them
e.. 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
| Williams 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 Ssani, OF Topeka,
with eight officers, were on their way.
They arrived at the Wooster house
about an hour after the officers had
| been imprisoned. Chief Stahl imme-
diately began negotiations with the
convicts 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 a blow from the butt Of q revolv'
er taken from one Of their captlVes'
One of the convicts told Sheriff Cook
that he would be killed if he made the
! slightest move looking toward .neii
capture. In the meantime the police
| officers on the outside surrounded the
building, but were afraid to make a
move for fear that Cook and Williams
would suffer-
Mrs. Wooster had tainted during the
excitement. She finally revived and
: at 7 o'clock the convicts paced the wo
man and Sheriff Cook in front OF them
as shields and maue for the door. Then
after an 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 lef'
the house, the frightened farmers wife
and submissive sheriff before them
the convicts passed between a Gordon
Of police, who could easily have cap
tured them, and started for the rail-
road track. The sheriff had in tarI
e1acted a promise from the police thai
they would not molest the convicts
and they did not.
After covering themselves a consid
erable distance down the track the con
victs suddenly disappeared through
hedge fence bidding the otncers
mocklng farewell.
The eonvicts had secured a goot
start before the officers had recovered
from their surprise. Then some OF tht
policemen wanted to pursue but Sher
/! if Cook would not permit it, as he hat
promised the convicts immunity from
arrest