The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-10
DESPERATE BANK
R0BBER ESCAPES
William Rudolph, Bad Man
From Missouri, Once
More at Liberty,
A REMARKABLE CAREER
No Jail Seems Strong Enough to Hold
Hin-Repeated Escapes and Cap
lures End in an Escape That
Seems Final.

ST. Louis, July 9.-William Rudolph,
one of the men who robbed the bank
at Union, Mo, last January and killed
a Pinkerton detective who endeavored
to capture him and George Collins, his
companion, escaped from the st. Louis
Jail late Monday afternoon. Late Mon
day night he had not been ~appreheno-
ed, although the entire police force of
the city was searching for him.
The escape was evidently the result
of a carefully prearranged plan, in
which a number of Jail prisoners were
implicated. At 5 o'clock In he after
noon the prisoners who have been per-
mitted to exercise are required TO re-
turn to their cells. When they a
begun to dispense Monday afternoon,
about fifteen Of them gathered in the
northwestern corner OF the city for
tress and in a moment there was an
apparent quarrel between them.
Through a Skylight.
Rudolph and his assistant in the
bank robbery, George Collins, remained
on the southeastern side of the Jail and
when the guards tried to quell the
evident disturbance on the opposite
side, the two desperate men FASTENED
up the tiers of cells until they reached
a beam which had been used to raise
the flag on July 4. Here Collins
SilOSeu Tic "Iiile ledlllel dllu "Vh Ao
further, but Rudolph climbed the beam
shattered a pane in the skylight and
an instant later was drawing himself
through the opening he had made to
the roof.
Undaunted. Rudolph grasped an cleo
trig light wire that extended to the
ground and slid down fifty feet, when
the wire snapped, precipitating him
to the ground. Regaining his feet In
Stapfly ha r q fhro,1oh SarOaa Mt la W.
sons residence, where Mrs. B. Lally,
the aged housekeeper, was the only oc-
cupant, out to the street and was gone.
Rudolph had succeeded in effecting
his escape before he was missed. The
matron, Mrs. Wilhelm. saw a man in
the trusswork near the loosened sky
light and raised the alarm. The man
proved to be John Burke, charged with
burglary. This led to the discovery of
the condition of the skylight n soon
Rudolph was missed.
A riot alarm was sounded, n the
entire detective force in the building
and squads Of policemen flocked to the
Jail. Collins also had disappeared, but
he was finally found in his cell. By
holding the pursuing police for several
minutes searching for him he gave his
-accompiicc ample time to get away. F
Escaped to Railway Yards.
Tailor Dawson and Detective KILL
am started after the escaped prisoner,
ard a number of lines We're within a
block OF him, but he always managed
to elude them. When last seen he was
lodging about the terminal railroad
yards. It is believed that he had
friends to whom he went and who will
shelter him until IN opportunity Of
fers to spirit him out Of the city. j
Collins and Rudolph robbed the bank
of Union, shot their way out OF toWT
and made good their escape last jan
uary. Posses We're organized the
men were sought IN every cleW, bu,
until Detective Charles J.. Schumacher
a Pinkerton. arrived to assist in the
hunt, they could not be located. In g
Ghort time Schumacher found them II
a cabin situated bout -four miles from
Stanton, Mo, and with a posse he went
there on January "a to arrest them.
Shot a Detective.
The officer approached the house owe,
a clearing a little in adVanc of hi
companions and raped on the nliddlt
door. Another door a sudden:
thrown open, however, and he was or
dered to hold up his hands. The me.
did not permit him to obey the com
mand, but began shooting, two bull
lets striking the detective, killing hin
almost instantly. Collins and Rudolp!
again escaped, but were arrested il
Hartford, Conn, by Pinkertons an
brought to St. Louis for safe keeping
Every ~precaution has been taken t
prevent their escape. Their quarters i
the Jail have been changed frequentl
and they have been kept apart. q fey
weeks g files and other implement
We're discovered in their cells II the
have been closely watched ever since
At midnight Rudolph had not bee
re-captured Shortly before that time
skiff was seen to pull out into the dark
ness of the river from the souther
portion OF the city. 1t is supposed Ru
dolph rowed the boat and escaped t
the Illinois shore.
Rudolph and Collins had waive
preliminary examination n the dat
set for their trial was July 10.
~erT