Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-11-12
HAD THE DROP.
Two Of Escaped Convicts Hold
Up the Officers.
Capture Two and Use Them as
Means Of Another Escape.
walk UnmoIested Between Gordon Of Police
and Are at Large.

Iopeka, Kan, Nov. l1-Sherim Cool,
and Deputy Sheriff Williams of this
county. were captured by two escapea
convicts from the Fort Leavenworth
military prison, Sunday afternoon. At
fduilhe' nVe miles south of Topeka and
heid prisoners in the farm house of a
man named wooster for several hours.
The convicts finally escaped between =
line of police sent from Topeka to rein
force the sheriff and are now at large
Both We're slightly wounded. Wooster
was badly wounded by one of The ON
Nicts when he tried TO fire on them
Mrs. Wooster and Sheriff Cook were
neid before the convicts as a shield bv
the prisoners in making their escape.
NJ 80 o clock. Sunday some
farm boys near Pauline learned that
the convicts We're IN the neighborhood.
Hastily forming IA posse armed with
target rifles, pistols and clubs they
gave chase. Neither of the conVictS
was armed and they were unable 10
max" Il stand Later Sheriff COOK ANA
Deputy Williams arrived. Coming u,-
"n the conviCts both officers fired
WoundinG the men but not disahliu.
them. The conyicts them fled thro,Ig,
a small "pening in the timber and ana
ran int" tn" huusr of Farmer WooSt"r
Sheriff COOK tcl"phonrd to ropck !
for assistance and then took up the
chase. Thinking the ,onVittS had run
around the house. Cook daripd through
the opening door. Intending I" surpri<"
them 1t the rear door. But instead of
1,. il, t- h.,I ~
house and the officer almost fen into
their arms. Sheriff Cock was order" |
t" give up his gun which hc did.
Deputy Williams by this tim" hal
reached the hous, aud entered without
knowing what had happened inside
ana h,. 100, was mad" captive by the
,ouvicts.
III the meantime Chief Stahi of Ia
peka. and eight officers We're on their
way. They arrived rt the Wooster
house about an hour after the officers
mad been imprisoned. chief Stahl i'm
mo diatcly began negotiations with the
oonvicts to give up their prisoners and
to surrender themselves. but the con
victs only laughed. Farmer Wooster
uthen managed to get a gun ana was
victs. when one Of them laid him low
with a blow from the butt OF Il rcvOl-
Yer taken from one Of their captive'.
The convicts broke Woosters 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 We're afraid to make
a move for fear 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 a shield and made for the door.
Then after eXaCting promise from the
sheriff that he would not permit any Of
the officers outside To fire upon them.
they started for the open.
As they left the house the frightened
farmer his wife and the submissive
sheriff before them. the conViCts pass
ed between q Gordon of police who east
II could have captured them. and start
ed for the railroad track. The sheriff.
in turn had eXacted a promise from
the police that they would not modest
the convictS and they did not