The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-28
13 CONNECTS BREAK FAIL Desperate D2ylg Wins | Them zedom. ONE GUAAD CUT TO DEATH Another Receives Probably
 Fatal Injuries. Desperadoes Hold Several Officers as Hostages and Threaten to Kill Them If Pursued by the Militia.

Sacramento, Cal, July N.-(Speciai)- Thirteen notorious criminals today es- capped from Folsom prison by using the overpowered head officers as a shield to protect them from bullets until they had escaped During the struggle in the prison. William L. Cotton. a guard, was stabbed to death by the convicts. A. J. G. Cochrane was probably fatally stabbed in the back, and W. c. Palmers was severe ly hacked about the head.
 When the escaped desperadoes were | well out from the prison. they released Warden Williamson, Captain Murphy and one or two other men who had been used as shields. General Overseer McDonough | and five or six guards are still in the ! hands of the fugitives, who say they will kill the prison officers if the militia at- tempts to retake them.
 Tonight 1t is believed that the convicts and their captives are making for the Bald Mountains. Governor Pardee has ordered out several companies of militia and the soldiers are on the trail of the convicts. All the escaped men are des- perate characters and blood Is likely to | flow before they are taken.
 A Desperate Fight. The thirteen convicts have been acting strangely of late, and when seen talking among themselves this afternoon, Captain | Murphy called Warden Wilkinson and four guards into his office to consider what was best to do with them, when the prisoners seized this moment for escape. | They made straight for the captains of- l fee. and rushed in on the very men whom prisoners wishing to escape usually elude. A desperate fight followed. The convicts were armed with knives and rasps, and, | with these weapons, they assaulted War | den Wilkinson. his grandson, Harry Will kinson, and his officers. The warden 6 clothing was torn into shreds with a ra-
 zor. but the blade did not touch the flesh. | The turnkey attacked the prisoners | with a chair, but he was felled by a knife thrust in the back. Guard Cotter's abdomen was ripped wide open. and he died this afternoon. while Palmers was nearly scalped. The floor of the office was covered with blood.
 Relieved of Arms.
 The officers were outnumbered, and | soon had to be relieved of their arms. Then, using the officers as a shield, the convicts started for the army post on the outskirts of the penitentiary grounds. They passed a Gatling gun on one of the walls. but the guards were afraid to turn it on the convicts. When the armory post was reached the officers there at- l tempted to interfere, but were quickly | overpowered. Then after further arm ing themselves with rifles, knives, pistols | and ammunition, they made a dash for the country with several guards, the l warden and the captain in tow. The convicts. armed with rifles, march. ed one on either side of Warden Wilkin. son, who was threatened with death if he made any attempt to escape. The offi- cers were told that if any of the pursu- CTS took the life of one of the convicts | the convicts would retailiate life for life. | At Mormon Bridge, about a mile from the 1 penitentiary, the warden. his grandsC . and Captain Murphy were sent back. The | others were marched along with the con- victs.
 Further on the convicts went to a far mer's house, seized his four horse team and wagon. robbed the house of every thing of value, took the farmer with them as a driver and started for Bald mountain. Evidently 1t is their inten- tion to reach Alabaster Cave.
 Fears For McDonough.
 Among the officers carried of by them is General Overseer McDonough Some fears are felt for his safety as he bears the especial ill-will of the convicts. Several hundred remaining prisoners made no attempt to get away and were quickly returned to their cells and lock ed up As soon as Governor Eardee heard of the delivery he ordered out the mill- | tia.
 ! Warden Wilkinson was the first to re- turn to the penitentiary. The convicts had taken his hat. Capt. Murphy ap- peared afterwards minus part of his clothing and later Harry Wilkinson | came in.
 Warden Wilkinson tells his experience as follows:
 1T went up to the prison. as is my cus- | tom. to see the convicts eat their break fast. The captain of the guard called me
 into his office to wait for the prisoners to walk out from breakfast. We were sitting in the office looking out of a win dow when the line made its appearance | from the breakfast room and started for ] the grounds, Suddenly several of the | prisoners made rush from the line with razors and knives drawn and rushed into Captain Murphy's office.
 They were joined by others judge there were about IS in all. Blood began to flow. I saw that it was hopeless to put up a fight against such odds. One of the convicts came up behind my back reached over with a razor and tried to cut open my abdomen. You can see how my belt is split from end to end and how my coat is hanging in shreds.
 The convicts secured me and Murphy and nVe or SIX other oIncefS, whom they disarmed. They kept us and proceeded
 to the yard and out of 1t by the front gate toward the armory post
 Could Not Use Guns.
 "The Gatling guns in the station hill
 tops and along the prison walls might
 have been fired by the guards. but had they done so. the officers as well as the prisoners would have been killed. The
 guards were unable either to rescue us
 or to prevent the escape.
 As we neared the armory a guard came out and they seized him. They took the keys away from him, entered the armory and equipped themselves with all manner
 of weapons. They then started along the dusty road and crossed the prison ranch toward the Mormon Bridge. After l had
 gone about a mile they let me go. They also released Captain Murphy and my
 grandson. They rest of them they have
 taken along with them, including General lOVerseer McDonough. Guard John Klen-