The Van Buren press., 1903-08-01
.C0NV|CTS BREAK PRISON.
Thirteen Desperate Prisoners Make
a Successful Escape after
Killing Two Guards.
USE WARDEN AND OFFICERS FOR SHIELD.
After n Desperate Fight in which
officers Were Outnbmbered Con-
Nicts Seize the Armory FortifyinG
Themselves With weapons Make
Dash for Liberty-Militia In
Pursuit.

Pursuit.
Sacramento, Cal, July 2s.-Thirteen
desperate prisoners confined in the
Folsom penitentary made 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 ccnyicts seized
quantity Of arms and ammunition,
using the warden and other officers
for a 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 took place,
The couvcts were armed with knives
and razors, and with these they as
saulted Warden Wilkinson and his Of
fcers.
The officers were easily outnum-
bered and soon had been relieved Of
their arms. Then, using the officers
as a shield, the cOnviCts started for
the armory post on the outskirts Of
the penitentiary grounds. They passed
a Gat.ing gun on one of the walls, but
the guards were afraid to turn it on
the conyicts. When the armory post
was reached officers there attempted
to interfere, but were quickly over
powered. Then after further fortify-
ing themselves with rifles, knives, pIs-
tolls and ammunition a dash for the
country was made.
Conyicts, each armed with rifles,
marched on either side Of Warden
Wilkinson. who was threatened with
death if he made an attempt to es-
cape, and the officers were told that
if any Of the pursuers took the life
Of one Of their number that they
would retaliate, life for life. About
a mile from the penitentiary the war
den, his grandson and Capt, Murphy
were released and sent back. Others
were carried along with the conyicts.
All the conUcts are still at large,
Among the officers carried off by
them is General Overseer McDonough.
Some fears are felt for his safety as
he bears the especial i'll will Of the
conyicts.
Warden Wilkinson gives the follow
| ing statement of the affair:
81 went up to the prison, as is my
customary duty, to see the convicts
eat their breakfast, ! stopped at the
captains Office to wait for the pris-
oners to walk out from breakfast, We
were sitting in the Office when the
line made its appearance from the
breakfast room and started for the
grounds. Suddenly seven or eight Of
the prisoners made rush from the
line with razors and knives drawn,
and came directly for us. They were
joined by others. judge there were
about fifteen in all. The blood began
to flow. | saw that it was hopeless
to put up fight against such odds,
One Of the ronyicts came up behind
my back, reach over with razor and
tried 20 cut open my abdomen, You
can see how my belt is split from
end TO end and my coat is hanging in
shredy.
"rhc coaycts got me and Murphy
and five or six other officers, whom
they disarmed, They kept MS and pro.
cccded next TO the yard and out of
the front gate toward the armory
post. AS we scared the armory
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. Aft
er | had gone mile they let me 20,
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 OVcrsccr j, q, Me.
Donough, Guard John Klcnscndorf
Guy letter, foreman Of the rock quar-.
ry, Tony Brown, stage driver aud
Guard l.. S, Ncrtrees and two or three
others whose names ! have not at