The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-07-31
CONNECTS BREAK PRISON.
Thirteen Desperate Prisoners Make
q Successful Escape After
Killing Two Guards.
USE WARDEN AND OFFICERS FOR SHIELD.
After a Desperate Fight In which
Officers Mere Outaumbcred Com
Nfcts seize the Armory Tortffytng
Themselves With Weapons Make
Dash for Iibcrty-Militia In
Pursuit.

| Pursuit..
Sacramento. Cal, July 2s.-Thirteen
desperate prisoners confined in the
Folsom penitcniiary 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,
guard killed and another officer IA
tally wounded. the con,icts seized
quantity of arms and ammunition.
using the warden and other officers
for a shield from their pursucrs,
made good their escape. Tonight It
Is believed they are making for the
Bald mountain. State militia ordered
out by Gov. Pardec have gone to the
scene.
The break occurred about seven
o'clock Monday morning. The convicts
made Immediately for the Office u
the captain of the guard. II. j. Muir
ply. A desperate fight took place.
The convcts were armed with knives
and razors. and with these they as
saulted Warden Wilkinson and his Of
ficerS.
The officers were easily outnum-
bered and soon had been relieved of
their arms. Then. using the officers
as shield, the convicts started for
the armory post on the outskirts OF
he pcnitentiary grounds. They passed
4 Gatling gun on one of the walls. but
the guards were afraid to turn II on
the convicts. 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.
Convicts. each armed with rifles,
marched on either side of Warden
Wilkinson. who was threatened with
death if he made an attempt 10 es-
cape. and the officers were told that
il any of the pursuers took the life
of one of their number that they
would retaliate. life for life. About
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 convicts 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
convicts.
Warden Wilkinson gives the follow
ing statement Of the affair:
Il went up TO the prison, as is my
customary duty. to see the conyicts
cat their breakfast. / stopped at the
captains Office to wait for the pris-
oners 70 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. l Judge there were
about fifteen in all. The blood began
to flow / saw that il was hopeless
TO put up fight against such odds.
One of the convicts came up behind
my back. reach over with razor and
tried 10 cut open my abdomen. You
can see how my belt is split from
end TO end and my coat is hanging "A
shreds.
THE conyicts got me and Murphy
and five or six other officers, whom
hey disarmed. They kept us and pro-
ceeded next to the yard and out IT
the front gate toward the armory
post As we ncarcd 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 a 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. G.. Me-
Donough. Guard John klcnscndorf,
Guy letter. foreman of the rock quar-
ry; Tony Brown. stage driver. and
Guard J.. s. Nertrecs and two or three
others whose names | have not at