Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1901-11-16
THEY HELD UP THE SHER|FFS
ESCAPED coNvIcTs FIGHT
They Were Chased Into n House
Were Followed in by the Officers
-COnvicts Bestcd the Officers,
Took Their Guns and Made Escape
"A Farmer Also Worsted.

Iopekd, han., NOV. 1l.-Sheriff
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 a line
OF policemen, going east.
At 2:30 Sunday afternoon some
farmer boys near Pauline became ac-
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 conyicts and both of the
officers fired, wounding the men but
not disabling them.
The convicts then fled through
small open space in the timber and
ran into the house of a farmer named
Wooster. The officers followed. Sher
iii 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 conyicts.
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,
OdI Il'SS COuiu nOI ste II ILdL way.
Farmer Wooster then managed to
get gun and made an attack on the
conviets, but was laid low by a hlnw
from the butt of a 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 7 o'clock the convicts managed
to 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 a 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
a Gordon of police officers who could
have captured them, but the sheriff
had given the conv1cts his word that
they would not be molested and they
were not After walking for some
distance the convicts suddenly disap-
peared through a hedge fence, after
bidding the officers a hooking fare
well. One of the police sergeants in
attendance said he could have easily
touched the leading convict with his
hand as they passed.
The convicts had gotten good start
before the officers had recovered from
their surprise Then some Of the po-
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
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 a steady hunt all day Sunday.
Last evening three of the prisoners
held up and robbed man near Man.