The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-08-01
FOLSOM CONVICTS OVERFLOW.
Err GUARDS AND ESCAPE
TO THE HILLS.
Surprised Their Keepers and Car
ried Off Number of Them as
Prisoners-Secured Arms
and Ammunition from
Prison Armory-Two
Guards Dead.

Folsom Prison, July 27.-One
of the biggest breaks in the history
of the Folsom prison occurred this
morning at Z o'clock. The line of
convicts were marching out of the
prison to go to work. About 300
of them were out when about 18 of
them, who were in a bunch in the
Eline, made run for the guards Of
fee, where Warden Wilkinson,
Captain Murphy and other officers
| were.
| In the hand Of each of the desper-
ate men was knife made of file.
They cut at the guards and War
den wilkinson had a narrow escape
from death, his clothes being cut
through. Joe Cochrane, W. L. Cot
ton and G. H. jolly were all badly
cut, the first two SO seriously that
they will not live.
The convicts then marched to the
armory, taking with them Warden
Wilkinson, Captain Murphy and
other guards and officers, all close
lY guarded by the convicts with
knives. At the armory they helped
themselves 10 guns and ammuni-
ton, each convict having rifle
and pistol. During this time the
other guards had the crowd covered
with guns but did not shoot because
of the danger of hitting the officers
in captivity.
After | aving the armory the party
moved across the prison grounds,
/ there being at that time Is convicts
and 13 officers.
Sacramento, Cal, July 27.-War-
den Wilkinson makes the following
statement of the affair: This
morning about 6:45 I went up to
the prison as is my custom to see
the convicts eat their breakfast. /
have been doing this same thing
every morning for three years and
a half and never take 80 much as
a cane with me to protect myself.
They mad not in all that time rais-
ed hand against me. I stopped
at the captains Office to wait for
the prisoners to walk out from their
breakfast. 1t is our practice if any
of the convicts had misbehaved, to
pick them out from the procession
and td hold a court there in the Of
fee, and determine their punish
ment. We we're all, myself and
the officers, quietly sitting in the of
fee, when the line made its appear
ance from the breakfast room and
started for the grounds. Suddenly
seven or eight Of the prisoners made
a rush from the line with razors and
knives drawn and came directly for
Us. They we're Joined by others, so
that I judged there were about Is
in all. Blood began to flow in all
directions. / saw that it was hope
less to put up fight against such
odds.
Zone of the convicts came up be.
hind my back and 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. I felt no pain aud do not
believe I am cut. The convict got
me and Murphy and five or six 9th
Per officers, whom they disarmed.
They kept US and proceeded to the
yard and out of it by the front gate
toward the armory post. The gait.
ling guns in the station hill tops
and along the prison walls would
have fired, but had they done so
they would have killed the captain
and officers as we'll as escaping pris.
oners, SO the Gattling guns remain.
ed silent. and the guards were eth
er unable to rescue or to prevent
the escape.
'sAs we neared the armory a |
guard came out apd they seizsd
him. They took the keys away
from him, entered the army and
equipped themselves with all man.
ner of weapons. Then they started
along the dusty road and crossed
the prison ranch toward the Nor
mon Island bridge. They kept say.
ing that they would not harm us. |
but they would not tolerate any
harm to their number or they would |
kill man for man.
After | bad gone about a mile |
they let me go, although they took |