Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-11-16
THE TABLES WERE TURNED.
Onoers Hunting Escaped Convict, Than.
selves Captured by Uunrmed.
Fupttlyea

noon Mt Pauline, five miles south n,
Topeka, and held prisoners in the
farmhouse of a man named Wooster
for several hours. They finally es-
caped between line of police sent
from Topeka to reinforce the sheriff
and are now at large. Both were
slightly wounded, Wooster was bad
ly wounded by one of the convicts
when he tried to fire upon 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;3O p, m. to-day some farmer
boys near Pauline learned that the
conyicts were in the ncighborhood.
Hastily forming posse, armed with
target rifles, pistols and clubs, thev
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.
wounding 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 that the conyicts
had run around the house, Cook DART
ed through the open door, intending
to surprise them at the rear door.
But instead OF this the conyicts 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 with
out knowing what had happened in
side, and he, too, was made captive
by the conyicts.
In the meantime Chief Stahl of To-
peka with the officers were on the
way. They arrived at the Wooster
house about an hour after the Off
GERS had been imprisoned, Chief
Stahl Immediately began negotiations
with the conyicts to give up their
prisoners and to surrender them
selves, but the convicts only laughed.
Farmer Wooster then managed to get
gun, and was about to make an at
tack on the conyicts when one of
them laid him low with a blow from
the butt of a revolver taken from one
of their captiyes. The convict broke
Wooster's right hand and cut an ugly
cash in his head
One Of the conyicts told Sheriff
Cook that he would be killed if he
made the slightest move looking to.
ward their capture. In the mean.
time the police officers on the out.
side had surrounded the building but
were afraid to make a move for fear
that Cook and Williams would suf-
fer.
Mrs. Wooster had tainted during
the excitement She finally revived,
and at seven o'clock the COnyicts
placed the woman and Sheriff Cook
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 farmers wife and the
sheriff before them, the convicts
passed between a Gordon Of police
who could have easily captured them,
and started for the railroad track.
III sheriff had in turn eNacted a
promise from the police that they
would not molest the conyicts, and
they did not.
After covering a considerable dis.
tance down the track, the convicts
suddenly disappeared through hedge |
fence, bidding the officers a moclling
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 recov'
cred from their surprise. Then some |
of the policemen wanted to pursue,
but Sheriff Cook would not permit II,
as he had promised the conyicts i'm
from arrest.
Chief Stahl left some of his men
on the scene, and with the others
started back to Topeka to take up the
chase later on. From Topeka a posse
was started out and Chief Stahl eX-
pressed the opinion tonight that he
would land the men before morning.
The convicts are well armed, having
taken all the guns in the farm house,
including those of the sheriff and his
deputy. They are both white men,
but their identity was not learned