Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1903-07-31
CONV|C1S BREAK PRISON.
Thirteen Desperate Prisoners Make
a Successful Escape After
Killing Two Guards.
USE WARDEN AND OFFICERS FOR SHIELD.
After . Desperate Fight In which
officers We're Outnumbcred Con.
~icts Seize the ArmOr EOrtifyinK
Themselves with Weapons Make
n Dash for Libcrty-Miiitia In
Pursuit.

n Dash for IN
Pursuit.
Sacramento, Cal, July 2s.-Thirteen
desperate prisoners confined in the
Folsom penitcntiary made a success
full break for liberty at the breakfast
hour Monday morning. After a fierce
fight in the captains Office. during
which "A turnkey was fatally stabbed,
a guard killed and another officer IA
tally wounded, the convicts seized q
quantity of arms and ammunition,
using the warden and other officers
for q shield from their pursuers,
made good their escape. Tonight 1t
is believed they are making for the
! Bald mountain. State militia ordered
out by Gov. Pardee have gone to the
scene.
The break occurred about seven
o'clock Monday morning. The convicts
made Immediately for the Office OF
the captain of the guard, II. j. Muir.
ply. A desperate fight too place
The convIcts were armed with knives
and ralors, and with these they AS
sailtcd Warden Wilkinson and his of.
hcers.
The officers were easily Outnum-
bcred and soon had been relieved OF
their arms. Then, using the officers
as Il shield, the cOnvicts started Tor
the arinOry post on the outskirts Of
the ~penitentiary grounds, They passed
d Calling gun on one of the walls, u
the guards were afraid to turn 1t on
the conyicts. When the arInory post
was reached officers there attempted
to interfere, but were quickly over
powered. Then after further fortify'
ing themselves with rifles, knives, pts
tolls and ammunition "A dash for the
country was made.
Conyicts, each armed with rifles
marched OF either side of Warden
Wilkinson. who was threatened with
death if he made an attempt to cs'
cape, and the officers were told that
# any of the pursuers took The life
of one of their number that they
would rctaliate, life for life. About
II mile from the penitentiary the war,
den, his grandson and Capt. Murphy
were released and sent back. Others
were carried along with the cOnvicts.
All the conyicts are still at large
Among the officers carried OFF by
them is General Dscrsccr M~cDOnough
Some fears are felt for his safety as
he bears the especial i'll will of the
cOuNictS.
Warden Wilkinson gives the follow
ing statement of the affair:
II went up 10 rh" prison, as Is my
customary duty, to see the conyicts
eat their breakfast. ! stopped at the
captains Office to wait for the pris
uncrs TO walk out from breakfast. We
were sitting in the Office when the
line made It's appearance from the
breakfast room and started for the
grounds. Suddenly seven or eight Of
the prisoners made II rush from the
line with raHors and knives drawn.
and came directly for rs. They were
joined by others. | Judge there were
about fifteen in alt. The blood began
to flow. ! saw that it was hopeless
W I'' W. 81 'Eh' against S''h '''o
One Of the cOnvicts came up behind
my back, reach over with n razor and
tried to cut open my abdomen. You
can see how my belt is split from
end to end and my cont is hanging in
shrcds.
"1he convicts got me and Murphy
and five or six other officers, whom
they disarmed. They kept US and pro
Ccedcd next to the yard and out OF
the front gate toward the armOry
post. As we nearcd the armory q
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 weapons
They then started along the dusty
road and crossed the prison ranch to
ward the Mormon island bridge. Art
er ! had gone a mile they let me go
They also released Captain of th'
Guards Murphy and my grandson
Harry Wilkinson. The rest Of thu
men they have taken along with them
including General Oyerseer J. q. Me
Donongh, Guard John Klensendorf
Guy letter, foreman OF the rock quar-
ry; Tony Brown, stage driver, ant
Guard J.. S. Nertrees and two or tire,
Others whose names ! have not a