The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-29
POSSES IN PURSUIT
OF THE ESCAPED CONvIcTs In
CALIFORNIA.
ARE PUSHING THEM HARD.
HAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO SHOOT
ESCAPES ON SIGHT.

stin Fight Was Had mt Pilot Hill.
Again the COnvicts Used Their
Prisoners to Make Their Escape,
Holding Them as Shields Against
the Bullets of the Ohicers-Inquest
Held and All the COnvicts Who
Escaped Are Charged with MUIR
der.
San Francisco, July 2S.-The fight at
Pilot Hill last night between the con-
victs who broke out of the state prison
at Folsom and their pursuers seems
to have been a more serious affair than
at first reported.
After they had looted a provision
store at Pilot Hill, they were practi-
cally surrounded by the sheriffs of Sac
ramento and Placer counties, each
commanding a strong posse. All four
horses of the convicts' wagon were
shot, and one of the criminals was kill
ed outright
Then the outlaws raised a white flag
and marched up the road with the
guards and others whom they had cap
tured on each side of them. A general
volley was not ordered, as it might
have killed several innocent men. In
this deliberate manner the second
escape was made.
The pursuing officers have been in
structed to shoot the convicts on sight
and their death or capture in the near
future is expected.
At latest accounts the troops and
posses organized by the sheriffs of the
different counties are keeping in close
touch with the convicts and their pris-
oners, the guards and Jail officials
whom they have taken with them in
self protection.
The party is moving towards Coloma,
where the citizens have armed them
selves and are preparing to resist any
attack.
Had Exchanged Clothes.
When last seen the eonvicts were
in citizens clothing, while their pris-
| oners wore the stripes. The latter APP
peared to be having a hard time of it,
as they were heavily laden with bum
| dies and ammunition.
The latest information is to the ef-
| feet that another encounter has taken
! place between the fleeing convicts and
| their pursuers, resulting in the death
of John Allison, a convict, and of an
| other. whose name is unknown.
The posse and militia are closing in
| on the desperadoes. The capture or
destruction of the complete band is
only a matter of a short time.
At 10 o'clock last night the convicts
turned Bernard Schlottman, Joe Fos-
ter and the following prison officials
loose: J. C. McDonough, ]. z. Jelter,
j. w Dolan, w. ]. Hoptona and Thorn
as j. Seavey. They were released in
the brush about four miles south Of
Diels place and came into Diels about
o'clock this morning. John Klein
dorff, one of the guards. tumbled out
of the wagon during the firing at Pr
lot Hill and escaped unhurt. This
makes all the free men accounted for
and safe
Short of Ammunition.
The convicts are somewhat short of
ammunition and are without supplies,
having lost them in the fight at Pilot
HILL All of them had lunches in their
pockets, but when the shooting began
they threw them into box in the wag-
on and a few minutes later fed. Near
ly all of them have a little money.
They debated whether to kill their
hostages or turn them loose, but finally
they decided to let them go unframed.
Company Fl of Placerville, under
command of Capt. Swiser, is in pursuit
of them, accompanied by nearly fifty
civilians, heavily armed.
p. ] Cochrane, the turnkey, who
was stabbed in yesterdays fight in the
captain of the guards Office, is still
very low.
The coroner's jury IN the case of w.
s. Cotter returned a verdict of muir
der against all the convicts who es-
capped. The inquest was held at Fol-
som prison.