The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1901-12-30
CONVICT PLOT FOILED
Another Attempt to Escape
From Leavenworth.
THE PRISONERS WE'RE DESPERATE

Several of Them Were Among Those
Who Got Out Last FAN and Were
Under Charge of Wandering IL
Warden.
Leavenworth, Kan, Dec. 30-A plot
more desperate than any before dis
covered here has been unearthcd ut
the federal penitentiary. Warden Me-
Claughry learned through one of the
prisoners Of a plan concocted by five
prisoners to seize one OF the guards
and the deputy warden and, with
them as shields, to force their way
into the prison armory and then es.
cape.
The plot was made by five of the
captured prisoners who escaped in the
mutiny at the new prison site on Nov.
z, and it is probable that the guard
and Deputy Warden Lemon would
have been murdered and a large mum
Der of prisoners liberated had not the
plan been frustrated. The ringleader
of the plot was Gilbert Mullins, who
held up and disarmed Sheriff Cook of
the Topeka police force. Frank
Thompson, a negro named Fred Robe
son, Bob Clark and Turner Barnes are
the others who were in the plot.
Clark and Barnes were the last two
Of the prisoners who escaped on Nov
Z to be captured and were caught in
Omaha several weeks ago. One OF
them, Clark, wrote cipher letter
while in the Jail at Lawton to have Il
brother rescue him while being
brought back to the penitentiary by
boarding the train near Guthrie and
killing the guards.
Convict Gave Away Plot.
The plot was given away by con
Wet who overheard the prisoners talk
Ing about 1t. The recaptured prisoners
had been put to work in the stone
breaking shed, which is inside the prs
on walls. They We're secured by means
of ball and chain attached to their an
kles and had been kept hard at work
Among them was Mullins, who is one
of the worst of the lot. In some way
he secured file. Another convict had
secured a case knife, which had been
sharpencd to fine point
The plan Of the convicts was TO use
the file to remove the shackles and
then tie them together so that the
guards would not suspect that they had
been cut. The intention was to make
the attempt for freedom yesterday aft
ernoon. At that time four of the plS
on BARRIERS come to the sheds to shave
the prisoners. 1t had been arranged
that when the signal was given the
BARRIERS razors We're to be seized
shackles torn off and the guard seized
and overpowered.
To Seize the Warden.
One of the prisoners was then to be
sent to the deputy wardens office, and
he was to tell the warden to come al
once to the stone shed. AS soon as he
was to arrive there he was to be seized
and his hands tied, ana the conyicts
were to use him and the guard as
shields to force their way out of the
first gate. They intended to place the
raZors at their throats, march them Ia
the first iron gate and there demand
that the gate be opened upon penalty
of death of the guard and the deputy
warden
They then intended to make a rush
for the armory, where the rifles were
kept, Just inside the first iron gate. As
soon as they had seized the guns il
would have been an easy matter to
force the outside gate. Their intention
was to kill any officers who interfered.
When told Of the plans of the con.
victs, the officials of the prison lost ne
time in searching Mullins and the 9th
er four. They found the file concealed
In Mullins clothes, and the knife was
on another of the convicts. The finding
of the weapons showed that the plot
would have set free every prisoner nj
the prison. 1t was even worse plot
than the mutiny Of Nov. Z.
The five leaders in this plot are from
among the seventeen mutineers who
had been recaptured ana who will be
tried for the murder of Guard Wald.
rupe, who was killed by them. 1t was
this fact that made them 50 desperate
and ready to take Silcl chances.
1t is said that Warden McClaughry
may ask the department of justice to
transfts the five to the Kansas state
penitentiary, which is considered q
safer place for such bad men. They
can be put TO work in the coal mine
700 feet underground The greatest
precautions have been taken at the
federal prison to guard against another
plot, these men having been placed III
solitary confinement.