The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1903-07-31
Thirteen Desperate Prisoners Mako
a Successful Escape After
Killing Two Guards.
USE WARDEN AND OFFICERS FOR SHIELD.
After a Desperate Fight In which
omccrs Were Outnumbcred Com
,icts Sciye Armory Fortifying
Themselves with Weapons Wake
n Dash for Liberty-Miiitin In
Pursuit.

fuFN"t'
Sacramento, Cal, July 2s.-Thirteen
desperate prisoners confined in tho
Folsom penitcntiary made n success
ful break for liberty at the breakfast
hour Monday morning. After n fierce
fight in the captains office, during
which a turnkey was fatally stabbed,
a guard killed and another officer IA
tally wounded. the conyicts seized q
%qunntity of arms and ammunition,
using the warden aud other officers
for a shield from their pursucrs,
made good their escape. Tonight 1t
Is believed they are making for the
Bald mountain. State militia ordereg
out 10y Gov. Pardec have gone TO the
Gene.
The break occurred about seven
o'clock Monday morning. The conNicts
made Immediately for the office OF
the captain Of the guard, II. j. Muir
ply. 4 desperate fight took place
The cunvicts were armed with knives
aud rnzors. and with these they AS
saultcd Warden Wilkinson and his Of
hccrs.
The officers were easily outnum'
b.rcd and soon had been relieved OF
their arms. Then. using the officers
a. q shield. the cunyicts started fot
the armory post on the outskirts OF
the pcnitcntiary grounds. They passed
N ia N1sVs.N .rNsNN ms .sa 81 Nlu NtI.llN lint
the guards were afraid to turn II on
the conyicts. When the armory post
was reached officers there attempted
to interfere. but were quickly over.
powered. Then after further f%urtify.
ing themselves with rifles, knives, pis
tolls and ammunition q dash Tor the
country was made.
Con,icis. each armed with rides
marched ON either side Of Warden
Wilkinson. who was threatened with
death II he made an attempt 20 ~.
cape. aud the officers were told that
II amy of the pursucrs took the ~
Of one Of their number that then
would rctaliatc. life Tor life. About
u mile FROM the pcnitcntinry the war
den, his grandson and Capt. Murphy
were released and sent back. Others
were carried along with the conyicts.
All the con,icts are still at large
Among the officers carried ON 10y
them II General Oscrscer McDonough
Some fears are felt for his safety a,
he bears the especial III will of the
conNicts.
Warden Wilkinson gives the follow.
Ing statement ~ the AFFAIR;
II went up 10 the prison, ~ Is my
customary duty. to see the cun,icts
eat their breakfast. | stopped AZ the
captains office To wait for the priS
oncrs Ia walk out from breakfast. We
were sitting In the Office when the
line made Its appearance from the
breakfast room and started for IN.
grounds. suddenly seven or eight Of
the prisoners mndc a rush from the
line with ralors and knives drawn.
aud came directly for rs. They wer,
Joined 10y Others. | judge there wcr,
ubout fifteen In all. The blood began
Ia How. | saw that II was hopeless
To put up a fight against such odds.
One Of the conyicts came M behind
my bnck, reach ever with u razor and
800
tried Ia cut open my abdomen. You
can see how my belt IL split from
end to end and my coat is hanging In
shrcds.
The con,icts got me and Murphy
and five or six other officers, whom
they disarmed. They kept ms and pro.
ceeded next To the yard and out Of
the front gate toward the armory
post, AS we neared the armory n
guard came out and they seized him.
They took the keys from him, en-.
tered the armory and equipped them.
selves with all manner OF
They then started along the dusty
road and crossed the prison ranch Ia.
ward the Mormon island bridge. AT
er had gone n mile they let me go
They also released Captain of the
Guards Murphy and my grandson,
Harry Wilkinson. The rest Of the
men they have taken along with them.
including General Overseer j. q. Me.
Donough, Guard John klensendorf
Guy letter, foreman ~ the rock quar-.
ry; Tony Brown, stage driver, and
Guard l.. S. Nertrecs and two or three
Others whose names / have not at
hand.