Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-07-30
POSSE FIGHTS
CONVICT GANG
TWO Fu6lTlVES REPORTED
KILLED IN BATTLE.
BOLD ESCAPE FROM PRISON
Thirteen lncareerated Prisoners Make
Break for Freedom from California
Penitentiary, Taking Lives OF Two
Officials ana Causing Much Blood TO
Flow-SoIdiers in Purusit

Placerville. Cal. July 9S.--According
to report received here q fight be.
tween the escaped convicts from Fol,
som and the posse mas taken place near
Pilot hill in which two I0ayicts We're
killed, The convicts and said to have
scattered and to be making for the
woods
Before the fight too the place the
convicts, who had piced up number
of citizens en- route, compelled them
to join their party, plundered gener.
al merchandise store at Pilot Hill.
Bold Break for Liberty
Folsom, Cal, July 2S.--Thirteen pris.
oners confined in the Folsom peniten.
erty at the breakfast hour yesterday
After fierce fight in the captains of.
flee during which Turnkey Cochran
was seriously stabbed, Guard Cotter
killed and other officers wounded. the
convicts seized a quantity of arms and
ammunition and using the warden and
other officers for a shield from their
pursuers. made good their escape
Last night it was believed they were
making for Bald Mountain, The state
militia was ordered out by Governor
Pardee and have gone to the scene
The break occurred about o'clock
in the morning. The conytcts made
Immediately for the office of Captain
Murphy There they seized Warden
Wilkinson, his grandson, Harry VIII.
linson, Capt. Murphy and several
other officers and guards. A desrer-
ate fight took place, The ConyiCts
were armed with knives and razors
and with these assaulted the warden
ing was slashed into shreds with ra-
zor, but the blade did not touch the
flesh Turnkey Cochran fought the
convicts with a chair, but he was felled
by knife thrust in the back. Guard
! Cotter was cut in the abdomen so that
his entrails protruded and he died yes
| terday afternoon, while Guard Palmers
was severely cut in the head The
J floor of the office was covered with
| blood
The officers were easily outnum
| beied Then using the officers as 4
| shield the convcts started for The
armory post on the outskirts OF tbs
penitentialy grounds. They passed
a gatIing gun on one side Of the walls
| but the guards were afraid to turn Il
on the conyicts for fear of killing
their Captives When the armory pc (
was reached the officers attempted to
interfere but were quickly owe,
/ powered Then after supplying thcm
| selves with rifles, knives, pistols and
ammunition, a dash tor the country
was made, The Conycts, each armed
with rifles, marched one on each sid@
OF Warden Wilkinson, who was
threatened with death If he made any
attempt to escape and the officers
were told that II any OF the pursucra
took a life one o. thoir number would
/ retaliate, life for life. At Mormon
| bridge, mile from the penitentlary,
the warden, his grandson and Murphy
were released The others were
marched along with the conyicts Fur.
ther on the conyicts went to a farm
ers house. seized his funrhorse team
and wagon, robbed the house ri
everything of value, took the farmer
with them as driver and headed for
Bald Mountain.
On hts return Warden Wilkinson
made statement Of the affair sub
stantially as told above. He exhoEor.
ated the guards on the walls for not
interfering as such Interference would
have resulted in further loss Of life