The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1903-07-29
BATTLE WITH cONVICTS
Thirteen Prisoners Overpower-
ed Officers and Escaped.
Took Warden and Several Officers
With Them In Their Flight and
Used Them as Shields - Stole a
Farmers Team and Wagon and
Made For the Mountains.

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Farmers Team and Wagon and
Made For the Mountains.
Sacramento, Cal, July 2S.-A dis
patch from Folsom says:
Thirteen desperate prisoners con-
fined in the Fol:cm penitentiary made
a succe: srul break for liberty at the
breakfast hour
After a fierce fight in the captains
Office, during which Turnkey Coch-
rane was fatally stabbed, Guard Cot
ter was killed and officer Palmers was
cut in the head, the convicts seized
arms and ammunition and, using the
warden and ether officers as shields,
escaped It is believed they are max
ing for the Bald mountain. State
troops ordered out by Governor Par
dee have gone to the scene.
The fight took place after the con-
victs had gone to the office of R. j.
Murphy, captain of the guard, and
seized Warden Wilkinson, his grand
son, Harry Wilkinson, Captain
Murphy and several other officers and
guards. The convicts were armed
with knives and razors and with these
they assaulted Warden Wilkinson and
his officers.
The warden's clothing was slashed
into shreds. but he was not wounded.
Turnkey Cochrane fought the convicts
with chair, raining blows upon them
right and left. Finally he was felled
by knife thrust in the back.
Guard Cotter was disembowelled by
a cut in the abdomen and he died a
few hours later. Palmers was severely
cut. The floor of the Office was COW
cred with blood.
The officers were outnumbered and
soon relieved of their arms. Then,
using the officers as shields, the con-
victs started for the armory on the
outskirts of the penitentiary grounds.
They passed a Gatling gun on one of
the walls, but the guards were afraid
to shoot for fear of killing the prison
officials.
When the armory was reached Off
GERS there attempted to interfere but
were quickly overpowered and the
convicts took a supply of weapons
and ammunition and made dash for
the country.
Convicts marched besides Wilkinson
and the officers were told that if any
of the pursuers took the life of one
of their number that they would re-
taliate, life for life. AT Mormon
Bridge, about a mile from the peni-
tentiary, the warden, his grandson
and Captain Murphy were released and
sent back. Others were marched
along with the convicts.
Further on the convicts went to a
farmers house, seized his four horse
team and wagon, robbed the house,
took the farmer with them as driver
and headed for Bald mountain.
All the convicts were still at large
last night. among the OncerS carried
off by them is General Overseer Nc
Donough. Some fears are felt for
his safety as he bears the especial i'll
will of the convicts.
Governor Pardee ordered the militia
company to the scene later. The sew
eral hundred remaining prisoners
made no attempt to get away.
Warden Wilkinson after his return
to the prison told the story as above.
The warden says the guards still in the
hands of the convicts include General
Overseer McDonough, Guard John
Klensendorf. Guy Getter, foreman of
the rock quarry; Tony Brown, stage
driver, and Guard l.. S. Vertres, and
two or three others whose names he