The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-25
ESCAPED UNDER FIRE
WILD DASH FOR LIBERTY OF TWO
PRISONERS AT FORT sCREvEN.
A KRAG-J0RGENSEN'S SHOTS
sPEEDED THE FUGITIVEs IN
THEIR FLIGHT.

CorpI. COIIcy and COrpI. Bradhnm
Were Under Arrest for Drunken
ness and DisorderIy Conduct and
for AssauItinE Joe BIue-They
Feared Court-MartiaI Would
Punish Them Severely, ms Blue
Had Had Previous Trouble with
Soldiers who Were Sent Up for
BurEIarizinE His DEMONSTRATING
10 Await Trial. the Men Escaped.
The Island Being Searched by
soldiers.
The soldiers of the garrison at Fort
screven searched Tybee Island last
night for two escaped prisoners, but
reports received at a late hour showed
that their efforts were without avail,
the hiding place of the fugitives not
having been discovered.
1t was desperate dash for liberty
that the prisoners made. Breaking
from their guard, they made wild
rush, Drawing the chance of a bullet
stopping their flight before they could
reach cover.
The escaped prisoners are Corpl. Col
ley and Corpl. Bradham. 1t will doubt
less go hard with them if they are
caught. They knew that serious con-
sequences were in store for them, any
way, and it was fear of a court-martial
that induced them to add the compro-
missing circumstances of escape to the
charges already against them.
O H. 4l.. 90
the post were at dinner, they heard
the sharp crack of a Krag- Jorgensen.
The magazine of the rifle, with its
reserve of shots, was called into ac-
ton, and the officers knew that there
was some trouble when the succession
of reports rang out. Hurrying from
their mess hall, they found that two
prisoners had escaped.
Under the guard of one man, the
prisoners were a short distance from
the guard house. Seeing half a
chance they made a dash around the
corner of a house. The guard was
after them. and sent the five shots of
his rife to enforce his disregarded
order to halt. The officer of the guard
reached the scene almost Immediately
and learned what had happened. He
had the soldier of the guard from whom
the men had escaped placed under ar
rest, such being the custom when q
guard allows prisoner to get away,
and at once began preparations for
the pursuit of the fugitives. Searching
parties were hurried off, and they had
anything but a pleasant time of it,
beating the bushes and looking through
houses.
Corporal Colley and Corporal Brad
nam were awaiting trial by court
martial upon charges of drunkenness
end disorderly conduct on a Tybee
train and committing and unprovoked
assault on a negro named Joe Blue
The charges were not, on their sur.
face, sufficient to induce the prisoners
to attempt escape, but the corporals
had in mind that but a few weeks be-
fore two soldiers of the post had been
sent up, one for ten and the other for
twelve years in the penitentiary, for
burglary of Blues house. Since that
time some of the artillerymen have
entertained deep-rooted grudge
against Blue, and ii was said that the
assault by Colley and Bradham grew
cut of this feeling. AS a court-mar-
tial had punished the burglars, the mer
who committed the assault were fear
full that it would go particularly hare
with them because of an attack upor
enc who had been witness before a
military tribunal and upon whose ac-
count the court had meted out punish
Inent