The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-10-10
CONVICT TRIES TO MURDER
ALEX A. ROBERTSON WHO TURNED IN ALARM

A LEX A. ROBERTSON, the default
n ing teller of Wells, Fargo & Co.
bank, turned in the alarm when
the convicts We're making their breaE
for liberty. And it came near costing
him his life.
Frank Corners. a life timer. who was
one of the ringleaders, saw Robertson
run upstairs and turn in the alarm. At
that moment Corners was helping sew
eral other cOnvicts TO beat Guard ia
cobs into an unconscious stale. that
they might prevent him from giving an
alarm, and take his keys away from
him. COnnors OWNED the intention OF
Robertson, and as quickly as possible
he broke away from the fighting men
on the second floor and started after
Robertson, with the evident determine
ton Of killing him if ne caught him.
Robertson's Run For Life.
Robertson knew that he had Leen
seen by Corners. and realizing tsJ- if
the man caught him he would kill him
without any hesitancy, ran for his life
After sounding the alarm by tOuching
a push button. Robertson ran across
the room above the one in when the
men were beating Guard ia obs and
entered the corridor in front o9 the
north row of cells in the north cell
house.
As quietly as possible. and with al
the speed which fear could lend his
legs, Robertson ran down the long steel
hoOred corridor. with Corners after
him. When he reached the end of the
tier Robertson turned to his right
around the corner and ran south along
the end of the tier. When he reached
the south row of tiers he turned west
and ran up that corridor a short dis
lance and lodged into an open cell to-
wards the west end Of the tier.
He had no sooner seCreted himself
than he heard Corners come running
along after him. The latter passed
within three feet Of Robertson, but did
not see him. Thinking that Robertson
had made his escape, and that ne was
losing time and possibly freedom by
looking for him any more, Corners re-
turned to the men whom he left beat
ing Guard Jacobs into submission.
Robertson Turned in an Alarm.
Robertson was on the floor above the
one on which the attack was made up
on Guard Jacobs. When he came down
the fight of iron stairs 10 see what
the matter was his attention having
been directed to sounds of scufling
and the overturning Of a chair. he saw
In an instant, as he stood half way
oCwn the fight OF stairs, what was up.
At that moment there were perhaps
half dozen convicts mixed up in the
fight. Three of them had Jacobs down
on the floor beating him over the head
with their revOlvers or slung shots
In an instant Robertson realized that
an attempt at a break was being made,
and he rushed up the stairs, and sound
eG the alarm in the Office That was
the first intimation that the officials on
the outside had that anything was
wrong.
The wOuld-be pen breaker. not find
ing him. went to the assistance of the
other men who were fighting for their
liberty.
After Jacobs had been rendered UNI
conscious, the men dragged his body
TO a point between the two doors lead
ing into the corridors of the cells. where
it could not be seen by Guard Wilcken
and his trusty, Schuckers. who, the
prisoners knew, were in the hospital
ward, and would soon come down the
corridor leading past the cells IN which
the five murderers were confined.
Captured the Guard.
AS Guard Wilcken and Trusty
Schuckers entered the room where the