Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-08-06
JOIN in A MUTlNY
THIRTEEN DESPERATE cONvt CTS
ESCAPE AT FOLSOM, CAL.

desperate prisoners conhned In the
Folsom penitentiary made a success
ful break for liberty at the break
fast hour Monday morning.
The break occurred about o'clock
morning. The convcts
lie Immediately for the office OF
the captain OF the guard, II. j.
Murphy. There they seized Warden
his grandson. Harry
Wilkinson; Captain Murphy and sew
eial other officers and guards. A des-
perate fight took place. The
c nvicts were armed with knifes
and razors with these they assaulted
Warden Wilkinson and his officers.
The warden's clothing was slashed
1 to shreds with razor, but the
blade did not touch the flesh. Turn
key Cochrane fought the convicts
with a chair, raining blows upon
item right and left. Finally he was
felled by knife thrust in the back.
Guard Cote was cut in the abdo-
men So that entrails protTuded, while
Palmers was severely cut In the head.
The floor Of the office was covered
with blood.
When the armory post was reached
nfflcers there attempted to interior
but we're quickly overpowered. Then,
after further fortifying themselves
with rifles. knives. pistols, and
ammu nition, a dash for the country
was made.
Convlcts, each armed with rifles
marched on either side OF Warden
Wilkinson, who was threatened with
death IL he made an attempt to es-
cape, and the officers were tod that
II any Of the pursuers took the life
Yof one of their number they would
lrctaliate, life for life. At Mormon
bridge, about mile from the peni.
t tiary, the warden. his grandson
and Captain Murphy were released
and sent back. The others were
marched~along with the convicts.
Warden Wilkinson IN his state
M ent says: h "i
81 went up to the prison as is my
customary duty to see the convicts
eat their breakfast / stopped at
the captains Office to wait for the
prisoners to walk out from breakfast.
We were sitting In the office when
the line made its appearance from
the breakfast room started fol
the grounds. Suddenly seven or
eight Of their prisoners made rush
for the line with razors and knives
drawn, and came directly for US.
They were joined by Others. l Judge
there were about fifteen.
"Blood began 20 Cow. ! saw that
1t was hopeless tc put up a fight
against such odds One Of the con-
victs came up behind my back,
reached over with razor and tried
to cut open my abdomen. You can
see how my belt is slit from end to
end, and how my coat Is hanging in
shreds. The convicts got me ard
MuIphey and five or six other officers
whom they dislImed. They kept US
and projected to the yard and out Of
1t by the front gate toward the arm
DRY post. The Calling guns In the
station hiltops and along the prison
walls would 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 their escape. As we neared
the armoIy 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. Then they start.
ed along the dusty road and crossed
! the prison ranch toward the Mormon
island bridge After had gone
about mile they let N e 60. They
also released Captain OF the guards
Murphy and my grandson, Harry
|lWilkinson. The rest of the men tn e,
have taken along with them incl udinl
General Overseer McDonough, Guarc
John Klensendorf, Guy letter, fore
man of the rock quarry; Ton!
Brown, stage driver, and Guard l..
f, S. Vertre and two or thre,
Others whose names i have not a
hand.
Folsom penitentlaTy is the prison
without walls. 1t is situated in
rocky amphitheatre close to tn
American river, about twenty mile
from Sacramento. The prisoners ar
locked up at night in the cell hous:
but during the day they labor 10 tn
stone quarries under the supervision
of armed guards. On the hill
surrounding the prison grounds ar
watch towers, In which the guards
armed with Calling guns and rifles
are stationed. Mounted guards ar