The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-11
USED HUMAN SHIELDS
LEAVENWORTH ESCAPES CAPTURE
SHERIFF AND DEPUTY.
SURROUNDED IN FARM HOUSE
THEY HOLD OFFICER AND WOMAN
BEFORE THEM.

if Promises COnNicts Immunity to
save His Life and That of His
Female Companion.
Topeka, Kan, Nov. 10.-Sheriff Cook
and Deputy Sheriff Williams of this
county were captured this afternoon
by two escaped convicts from the Fort
Leavenworth military prison at Pau
line, five miles south of Topeka, and
held prisoners in the farm house of a
man named Wooster for several hours.
The convicts finally escaped between
a line of police sent from Topeka to
reinforce the sheriff, and are now at
large. Both were 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 tonight.
AT 2:30 o'clock this afternoon some
farmer boys near Pauline learned that
the convicts were in the neighborhood.
Hastily forming a 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 upon
the convicts both officers fired, wound
ing the men, but not disabling 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 went through the
open door, intending to surprise them
at the rear entrance. 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
hams by this time had reached the
house and entered without knowing
what had happened inside and he was
made captive by the convicts.
III the meantime Chief Staili of To-
peka and eight officers were on their
way. They arrived at the Wooster
house about an hour after the officers
had been imprisoned. Chief Stahl i'm
mediately 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 a re-
volver taken from one of their cap
tives. The convict broke Wooster's
right hand and made an ugly cash in
his head.
One of the convicts told Sheriff Cook
that he would be killed if he made the
slightest move looking toward their
capture. In the meantime the police
officers on the outside had surrounded
the building, but were afraid to make
move for fear that Cook and Will
liams would suffer.
Mrs. Woster had tainted during the
excitement. She finally revived and at
o'clock the convicts placed the wo-
man and sheriff in front of them as
shields and made for the door.
Then, after exacting a 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 far
mer, his wife and the submissive sher-
iff before them, the convicts passed be-
tween Gordon of police who easily
could have captured them and start
ed for the railroad track. The sheriff,
in turn, had exacted a promise from
the convicts, and they did not.
After covering a considerable dis
tance down the track the convicts sud-
defly disappeared through a hedge
fence, bidding the officers a mockirg
farewell. One of the police sergeants
later said he could have easily 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 police
men wanted to pursue, but Sheriff Cook
would not permit 1T, as he had prom
ised the convicts immunity from ar
rest
Chief Stahl left some of his men on
the scene and with the others started
back to Topeka to take up the chase
later. From Topeka posse was started
out, and Chief Stahl expressed the
opinion tonight that he would land
the men before morning.
The convicts are well armed, having
taken all the guns from the farm
house, including those of the sheriff
and his deputy They are both white
men, but their identity was not
learned.
Sheriff Cook arrived from Pauline at
10 o'clock tonight. He was somewhat
oisfgured and his clothes were ragged,
put he had lost none of his nerve by
his usage at the hands of the convlcts
The sherin's story.
He said that when he and Deputy
Williams reached the scene in the af-
ternoon a farmer boy. a lad OF IS, who
mad been chasing the convicts, was
popping away at the men with a tar
get rife. Cook snapped his revolver
nVe times, but only two cartridges ex-
ploded. One bullet hit the larger con-
Wet in the arm, while Williams caught
the other with bullet in the leg. Then
long chase ensued.
Cook finally reached the Wooster
farm house, where the big convict met
nm at the door and commanded aim
10 come in
Come in here or I'll kill you" he
said
in."
lie continued:
The woman was screaming and
wooster was lying on a couch uncon-
Hrl0us. His skull was cracked and his
iRht hand was broken. The other con-
yet crouched behind the door his gun
9Iawn upon me, Having searched me,
We big fellow asked n was uae eher-
H I am looking for the sheriff he
halq. ! want - kill him
Under the circumstances ! tsld hin
WiAt was only q farmer. Tafn hs
i"'a me he would take me along -