Los Angeles herald., 1905-11-25
THREE KILLED IN
CONVICT REVOLT
TWO OTHERS WOUNDED IN
FIERCE BATTLE
Prisoners in Missouri Penitentiary,
Armed With Pistols and Nitro
elyoerine, Make Desperate
Break for Freedom

they returned to the gate and met
Gateman John Clay, who had been
alarmed by the shots. Before he COULD
raise his weapon he was shot dead.
Guard Il. Allison, who was attracted
by the shooting, was their next victim.
He was shot through the head and died
almost instantly.
Then, as il to signal the convcts gem
orally that the attempt to escape had
been started, the convicts seized the
bell rope hanging by the gate and mo-
fnentarily rang the bell.
Gateman Shot Dead
Gateman Clay had left the wagon
gate ajar when he appeared and was
shot dead. The convicts rushe 4.
through, dragging his body with them,
slammed the gate shut and fastened 1t
on the inside. They were then in the
this entrance being about 30 feet long
by fifteen feet wide, and leading to the
public street through another double
gate of steel. This outside gate was
locked, but the desperadoes were de-
TERED but for a moment. Placing their
nitro-glycerine under the outside gate,
they blew an opening through the mas
sive steel doors and before the smoke
had cleared from the opening they had
dashed through past a number of
"trusty" conVicts working in the
street and ran madly for twelve blocks.
zeigler, it was found, had failed to
leave the prison walls.
Almost before the four escaping con-
yicts had covered the distance of one
block the prison officials, heavily
armed, were in pursuit, shooting as
they ran. Pedestrians jumped behind
trees, ran into houses and crouched
down behind any obstacle that present.
ed refuge. Those living in houses along
the line of flight, alarmed by the shoot
ing, rushed out to ascertain the cause.
Women scrambled and fled, precipi-
lately, while the majority of the men
seized weapons and Joined the prison
officials in the pursuit. a desperate
fear gave speed to the convicts, and
they outran their pursuers. Near the
Missouri railway station they came
upon a wagon being driven by Orville
Lane. Jumping in the wagon they
seized Lane and held him to act as a
shield from the bullets of their pur-
suers. One convict lashed the horses
into a run.
Battle With Posse
The wild ride was of short duration,
however, as another posse, consisting
of city police, augmented by citizens,
appeared in front of them and seeing
lHdl IuIlntI lllSnL WIS cut Olls lUtN
stopped the horse and made a desper-
ate stand. Lane was thrown to the
bottom of the wagon and, crouching
over him, shielding themselves to the
best possible advantage behind the
sides of the vehicle, the convicts opened
fire back to back on their pursuers.
The prison officials shouted to them to
surrender or they would be shot dead
Their only reply was a volley of bull
lets from the revolvers. Then followed
desperate street battle. The posse
men jumped behind trees and shot with
telling effect, splintering the wagon and
finally putting a bullet through one of
the convicts, who fell to the ground.
Thereupon, seeing that death was
inevitable and further resistance use
less, the convicts surrendered.
1t was found that convicts Vaughn
and Flake were suffering from bullet
wounds. Driver Orville Lane and con-
victs Ryan and Raymond were unin-
jured The convicts were Immediate
ly taken back to the penitentiary,
where the wounded were given medical
attention, while the uninjured were
placed in solitary confinement in dun
geon sells.
Convict Harry Vaughn, from ST.
Louis. was sentenced to thirty five
Years for first degree robbery. Vaughn