The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-05
Five Men Blew Their Way Out of Pratt Mines Prison
 With Dynamite
W|THERING FIRE FROM
 GUARDS CUT THEM DOWN
Gang Was Led By Tom Fay, Member of Famous MilIerDuncan Gang. Two of lne Men A-c Prob
 ably Fatally Hurt.

As the result of desperate dash for liberty by five conviets from the camps at Slope No. 2, Pratt City, early yes tc-Iay morning, two of them are prob ably fatally wounded, two badly wounded and the fifth Is at liberty. The escaping gang ran face to face with two of the prison yard guards, who opened fire with pistols and shot guns and brought four of them to the ground before they could climb the fence and reach the woods. The fifth escaped in the excitement and has not been heard from since.
 The gang was led by Tom Fay, the youngest member of the famous Mil. ler-Duncan gang of safe blowers and murderers.
 The wounded convicts are:
 John Brewer, shot through body and In back, fatally wounded.
 Richard kennybrook, fatally shot in bowels and kidneys.
 Tom Fay, shot in leg, not fatal.
 Tom Melvin, shot in foot, not fatal,
 James Amory, escaped, and 1t Is thought he was not wounded. He has not been recsptured.
 UsSd Dynamise 70 Escape.
 The convfcts used dynamite is efectins the escape. They secured a large amount of if from an unknown source. and with matches and fuses they were prepared to blow their way to liberty.
 The first fuse was lighted by Tom Fay, and the dynamite blew out the entire end of the water closet to the building in which they were confined. There were fifty men confined in the building, but the opening made by the dynamite was not large enough for more than two men to pass out at a time. The debris had not ceased to fall ere Fay, followed close ly by the other four men, dashed through the opening only to be met by the two guards who were armed with rifles and pistols.
 The guards fired shot after shot with telling effect and all but these five con victs remained in the room and lay down to escape the rain of bullets which was pouring through the opening.
 Fay was the first of the convicts to falter He received a flesh wound in the calf of his leg and 1t brought him to the ground. The other four continued In their flight and desperate fight took place be- tween them and the guards, who were E. B. McCray and Archie Wyatt.
 Desperate Fight.
 The convicts had sticks of dynamite and fuses which they lighted and threw to- wards the guards. Two of these pieces exploded and Kennybrook was in the act of lighting a third stick when he was shot by one of the guards. He fell on the ground and was unable to move.
 By this time the explosion and the fir ing had called Will Green, another guard, to the place and his attention was turned to the other convicts and keeping them in the stockade. Guards followed Brew CT, Melvin and Amory to the fence. Mel win was climbing the fence when one of the guards fired at him, striking him in the foot. He fell back into the yard. Brewer Hdu TtdCIGu lHe ltuCt d1u NdS just preparing to jump for a hold to climb over when one of the guards shot him in the back. The bullet passed through his body, and he is in a critical condition.
 Convicts Had Breastworks.
 It is probable that four of the convicts were saved from instant death by small pile of logs which were lying near the entrance of the mines and not but short distance from the place where they broke out Four of them managed to get behind this fortress and from there they were able to keep the guards at bay for a minute with dynamite but this place of safety was only temporary It was just before reaching this that Fay was shot, and while lying near there that Kenny brook received the wounds which will probably cost his life. The other two men bolted from behind the logs as soon as Kennybrook fell and made their run for the fence.
 Amory was never seen by the guards after he made the first dash out of the opening. He is supposed to have separat- ed from the other four men and jumped the fence while the guards and the other four convicts were having their desperate fight
 The escape was we'll planned and dar- ing. Fay evidently led the gang and after he was shot and carried to the hospital he admitted that he was the first to light a fuse, and that 1t was his stick of dyna- mite that tore out the end of the building.
 Fay Was the Leader.
 Fay chose the north end of the build ing. where there was small closet He knew that at this end there were but two guards and that 1t would be a minute before others could come to their assist