Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1901-11-13
THEY HELD UP THE SHER|FFS
CoNv1cTs FIGHT
They Were Chased Into n House
Were Followed in by the Officers
-COnvicts Bested the Officers,
Took Their Guns and Made Escape
"A Farmer Also WOrsted.

lOpehd, Nall, NOV. l.-SnerlH
Cook of this county and Deputy Sher-
iff Williams were captured by two of
the escaped federal penitentiary con.
victs at Pauline, five miles south of
here, and held for several hours. The
convicts, whose names can not be
learned, then escaped through line
of policemen, going east.
At 2:30 Sunday afternoon some
farmer boys near Pauline became &C.
quainted with the fact that the con.
victs were in the neighborhood and
soon had posse organized and were
chasing the convicts all over the coun.
try. The escaped prisoners had no
arms or ammunition and were COM
PEELED to run before the posse. which
was armed with % caliber rifles, small
pictols, clubs and most every kind of
small weapons. The sheriff soon
heard of the condition of affairs and
started for the scene. He soon came
up to the convicts and both of the
officers fired, wounding the men bu;
not disabling them.
The convicts then fled through q
small open space in the timber and
ran into the house of farmer named
Wooster. The officers followed. Sher
if Cook thought the convicts had run
around the house and he darted
through the open door, thinking to sur
prise them at the back door. But in
stead of this the convicts had gone
into the house. AS the sheriff ran
in he fell right into the arms of the
convicts near the door. He was or.
dered to give up his gun, which he did
Deputy Sheriff Williams had by this
time reached the house not knowing
what had happened, and he. too, was
gathered in by the convicts.
Before he was captured the sheriff
had been thoughtful enough to tele
phone to Topeka for help. Chief Stahl
with eight officers, fastened to the
scene and arrived there after the of,
fcers had been imprisoned about an
hour.
Chief Stahl Immediately negotiated
with the convicts to give up their pris
cners and to surrender themselves
but they could not see it that way.
Farmer Wooster then managed to
get gun and made an attack on the
convicts, but was laid low by a blow
fl ON the butt of revolver. The con
victs broke Wooster's right hand and
cut an ugly cash in his head. The
leader of the convicts then told Sher
if Cook that he would be killed If he
made the slightest move looking to-
| ward their capture, and he promised
to be good. In the meantime the
police officers on the outside were
afraid to do ANYTHING because the con
victs threatened to kill the imprisoned
officers if they did.
At o'clock the convicts managed
t. revive Mrs. Wooster, who had faint
ed from fright, and placed Sheriff,
Cook and her in front of them as
shields. They then started out, after
first exacting promise from Sheriff
Cook that he would not order any OF
the officers to fire at them. Then they
left the house and started down the
railroad track. They walked through
Gordon of police officers who could
have captured them. but the sheriff
had given the convicts his word that
they would not be molested and they
were not. After walking for some
distance the convicts suddenly disap
peared through hedge fence, after
bidding the officers a hooking fare
well. One Of the police sergeants in
attendance said he could have easilv
touched the leading convict with his
hand as they passed.
The convicts had gotten a good start
before the officers had recovered from
their surprise. Then some of the pc.
licemen wanted to pursue, but the
sheriff would not permit it, as he said
he had promised immunity from ar
rest to the convicts.
The chief of police then started
back to town, but left some of his men
on the scene, and they started on a
chase later on. They expect to cap
ture the convicts before morning, as
the entire country is aroused by the
stirring events happening on the
usually quiet Kansas Sunday.
The convicts are well armed, as they
took all the guns in the farmhouse.
including three of the officers, before
leaving. They are both white men.
Kansas City, Nov. 11.-Fourteen
escaped convicts from the Fort Leav.
enworth prison are still at large, al
though armed guards and citizens
kept up steady hunt all day Sunday.
Last evening three of the prisoners
held up and robbed a man near Man.
haitian, Kan, but escaped and all
trace of them was lost. One of the
men is believed to be Frank Thomp.
son, the notorious negro leader of the
mutiny. At the prison today, John
Green, white convict, who was
wounded Friday at Nortonville, when
two of his comrades were killed by
citizens, suffered the amputation of
his leg. He will recover. Quinn Fort.
shot at the stockade while attempting
an escape, and James Huffman, killed
in the Nortonville raid, were buried
in the prison yard today. The body
of Jay ]. Poffenholz. also killed in the
Nortonyille fight. was shipped to Chi
cago TODAY. at the request of his
mother. Guard Waldrupe. who was
wounded IN tho had &c eth H. n o,-.t;