The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-01-03
MURDtROUS SCHEME OVERHEARD
CONVICT DIVULGES THE DFSPER-
ATE PLOT TO WARDEN NC
CLAUGHRY.
DEPUTY WARDEN LEMON MARKED
uE WAS TO BE SEIZED AND USED
AS TO COVER THE
ESCAPE.

Leavenworth, Kan, Dec. 31.-A plot
more desperate than any ever discov-
cred was uaearthed at he federal pris-
on here Saturday.
Warden McClaughry, through n of
the prisoners, learned Of a plan con-
cocted 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 vas made by five Of the
captured prisoners who escaped in the
mutiny in the new prison site on Nov.
2, and it is probable that the guard and
Deputy Warden Lemon would have
been murdered and a large number OF
prisoners liberated had not the plan
been frustrated. The ringleader of the
plot is Gilbert Mullens, who held up
and disarmed Sheriff Cook of the To-
peka police force. Frank Thompson, a
negro, Fred Robinson, Bob Clark and
Turner Barns are the others who
Were, in the Plot.
Clark and Barnes are the last two of
the prisoners who escaped Nov. Z to be
captured, and were caught in Okla
homa several weeks ago. One of them.
Clark, wrote a cipher letter while In
the Jail at Lawton to have a brother
rescue him. while being brought back
to the penitentiary by boarding the
train near Guthrie and killing the
guards. The plot of Saturday was
given away by a convi who overheard
the prisoners talking about it. The re-
captured prisoners had been put to
work in the stonebreaking shed, which
Is inside the prison walls. They were
secured by e of a ball and chain
attached to their ankles, and have
been kept hard at work. Among them,
Mullens, who IS one of the worst of the
lot, in some way secured a file. An
other Of the convicts had secured a
case knife, which had been sharpened
to a fine point. The plan of the con-
victs vas to use the file to remove the
rhackles, and then tie them together
so that the guards would not suspect
that they had been cut. The intention
of the desperadoes was to make an
attempt for freedom Saturday after
noon. At hat time four Of the prison
ers, as BARRIERS, came to the sheds to
shave the prisoners. 1t had been ar
ranged that when the
Signal Was Given
the BARRIERS razors were to be seized.
tire shackles torn off and the guard
seized and overpowered. One of the
prisoners was hen to be sent to the
deputy warden's Office, and he was to
be told to come at One to the stone
shed. AS soon as he arrived there he
was to be seized, his hands tied and
the %ccnvicts were to use him and the
guard as shields to force their way out
of the front gate. They intended to
place the razors at their threats.
march. them to the first iron gate n
here to demand the gate to be opened,
under penalty Of death of the guard
and Deputy Warden Lemon. They
Their intended to max a rush for the
armory of the guards where the rifles
are kept, which IS just inside the first
iron gate. AS oon as they had seized
the guns it would AVE been an easy
matter to force the outside gate. The
intention was to kill any officer who
interfered. When told Of the plans OF
the convicts the officials Of the prison
lost no time in searching Mullins and
the other four. They found the file con-
cealed in Mullins clothes n the knife
was on another Of the convicts.