Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-02-24
THE SANTA f
PEN BREAK
New Mexican account 81 The
Attempted Escape d Seven
consiets
Merry HOFFM MAN
Feeling That This United
states Trnsty should he Par
doued ~ President For
mi. Good Work

HE ssew Menican u the attempt mada
BIZ seyea ~copyiets n escape from the
~penitsniiafys
Hsd II NOT beea nj the atrict DIE
slpl.ne and vel arranged coalition q
afalss axlsling af the territorial penl-
t0nilafy. q great exodus q conyic's
and boss N NE might have been The
retlt Ill that institution this morn.
Inn. About ssD q combination a
seven conyjcts, n whom four were
the ring leaders. attempted % escape
III ths following monnef. There y
I tunnel under The main building,
through which pass a nufnbef q plpea
III heating tho coil houas and other
portions Df the structure. There Il an
entrance 10 this tunnel from the kit4
chen closed BY an iron door and there
Ii also an Iron door leading from II 70
tho main corridor Thsaa doors are
habitualiy kept locked. Alphesns
Hampe. who IL confined iii tbe pen.
itentiay fort NE BIZ murdered "
EpisaeIo GailpaOs, q HE convict
wooiey IN name, AMI two other con-
victs, Brandon ana Quick. each n for
four years f0f burglary. succeeded III
breaking the kitchen door Into The tun
nei. slipping into q and then With tfoW
bars Lr0ia open thn ock 0f the iron
door leading into Tho corridor u the
main building then ascending, The
-four men with drawn knives rushed
Into the ofiep Whore Assistant Super.
intendont r. c Garrett VAS at work
nj biz desk NJ nauaI, oyerpoRere1.
him and demanded that be give Them
tbs key 10 The arsenal fiampe cut
Garrett during the coiloauy with Bio.
knife On the hand. but tho injury p
slight Garrett insisted that he did
not have the key and that be did not
know the combination 10 the lock ~
the armory. The conYicts then SEIZED
and tied him. They then rushed 70
the armory, succeeded 10 smashing
the lock, but nevertheless did not
manage 70 open iis door To get al the
ammunition and guns therein kept.
They Intended as soon as they had
tho gums 10 rush up stairs. seire the
women, bring them down and with
Garrett nse them as shields against
the firing Of tho guards and thereafter
make their escape, This was fnstra,.
Cd. however, BIZ nm alarm given TO The
guards BY Walter Hoffman. d United
States convict ~incarcefa,sd for com
plicity 10 the robbery Of the postomce
q separ, Grant county. some time ngo.
After giving the alarm. Hoffman, who
y a rusty. took d p~onltcntiary horse
and rushed ID THE city for aid. the
telephone virea having been Gu, by
tho c~onsicts A. soon az they entered
the once WHERE they secured Assist
ant Superintendent Garrett. mo latter
being unarmed at the time Ii accord.
hnce with tbs regulations.
The guards upon receiving The alarm
from Hoffman Immediately placed
themselves IN front Of The building
and III tho main corridor. commanding
the door nf the ONCE where In the con.
sicts we're with Garrett Upon reach.
ing town, Hoffman gave the alarm and
Quickly ataH thirty men armed them.
selves and started for the penitenuary
several Of them returning with Hon.
man the latter whipping M tho horse
and making the run ID three mInutes.
When they rot there. the consicta had
surrendered seeing themselves over
powered and bad again been placed III
helt cells Ar soon AZ he heard III
fhe aralr Governor otrro Mr. nur.
sum balng absent. repaired u the pen.
iteuliary. mhdc i rurnory inquiry,
which viii Ne followed hy i thorough
Investigation NJ time progresses The
governor also ordered nc ionr men
70 BE- chained and 10 bc placed il tbnIr
celia Tor the time being pending ~
examination " tho AFFAIR which viii
DO made.
AIS well that onda woiln Very
serious consequences and aure loss 81
HE were only averted BY tho bravery
and loyalty ~ Hoffman Had this
ifueiy not given the alarm, The con
,icts IN all likelihood would have sue.
cceded IN escaping As the guard were
all busy within The grounds and out.
aide 10 charge OF different detacb
ments q prisoners at their daily work
II ~ but justice 10 say that the con.
duct of the prisoners In general. that
n Of thcss who we're not In ihs con.