Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1905-11-27
Running Fight Takes Place on the
Streets of Jefferson City and
Recapture Of C0nvicts a
Difficult Matter.

were sHot ueau ana a thlrd seriously
wounded. The dead:
John Clay, gatekeeper. and E. ALI
son of the commissary department.
The wounded: Deputy Warden r. f.
See, shot in arm and hip; Harry
Vaughn. convict st. Louis, shot in
arm; Hiram Blake. convict from Grun-
dy county. shot and died later.
Mutineers captured unhurt: George
Ryan, from st. Louis. and Charles RAY
mond.
Warden A. Hall. Yardmaster Calvin
and five prison guards. departed in the
morning for Leavenworth, KAN, on a
special train conveying seventy-one
special train conveying seventy-one
Federal prisoners. who are being trans
ferred from the Missouri state peniten-
tiary to the government proicon at Fort
Leavenworth. II is believed that this
fact had much to do with the outbreak.
as 1t is surmised the convicts had
counted largely upon Warden Halls
absence in their generalization.
There was not the slightest premo-
milton of any trouble within the prison
walls. Suddenly Convicts Vaughn. Ray
mond, Blake, Ryan and Seigler, who
were working In close proximity to the
prison gate inside the enclosure as IL
by given signal made a rush for the
gate. From their pockets they drew
pistols and IL is presumed that at least
one of them carried bottle of nitro
glycerin. Where these weapons and
the explosives were obtained has not
yet been discovered. Rushing past the
gate they entered Deputy Warden Sees
office and shot him as he sat in his
chair Instantly 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.
Then. as II to signal the convicts gen.
orally that the attempt to escape had
been started. the convicts seized the
Reil rope hangif~by the gate and mo-
s,-->sS the bell
Gstemen Clay had left the wagon
gate aJar when he appeared and was
shot deaa. The convicts rushed through
Dragging his body with them, slammed
ne gate shut and fastened 1t on the
side. They were then in the wagon
rance to the penitentiary. this en-
ice being about forty feet long by
h wide. and leading to the public
street through another double gate OF
steel. This outside gate was locked
but the desperate convicts were deter
red but only for a minute.
Placing their nitro glycerin under
the outside gate they blew an opening
through the massive steel doors and
before thes moke was cleared from
the opepfpp fbau bol Ia
number of trusty convicts working in
the stree. and ran madly for twelve
blocks. Zeigler. II was found. had failed |
TO leave the penitentiary walls.
Almost before the four escaping con-
victs had covered the distance of one |
block. the prison officials. heavily arm |
ed, were in pursuit shooting as they |
ron. Pedestrians Jumped behind trees. |
ran into houses and crouched down be- |
IND other obstacles that provided ref |
Those living In houses along the |
The OF flight. alarmed by the shooting |
rushed out to ascertain the cause. The 1
women of the neighborhood grasped |
weapons and Joined the men in the pur- |
suit. The chase gave speed to the con-
victs and they outran their pursuers |
Near the Missouri Pacific railroad de-
pot they came upon a wagon being |
driven by Orvilla Lane. Jumping into
this wagon they seized Lane and held
him to act as a shield from the bull
lets OF their pursuers. One convict
dashed the horses into a run. The will
ride was of short duration. however, as
another posse. consisting OF city police
augmented by citizens. appeared In
front Of them. and seeing that further
flight was cut off. they stopped the
fserses and made a desperate stand
Lane was thrown to the bottom of the
wagon and cruching over him. shielding
themselves to the best possible advant-
age behind the sides of the vehicle
they opened FIRE back to back on their
pursuers. The prison officials shoute (
to them to surrender or they would BE-
shot dead. They only replied with
volley from Their revolvers The fol-
lowed one of the most desperate stree,
battles that every took place in Jeffer-
son City The possemen jumped behind
trees and shot with telling effect
splintering the wagon and finally put
ting a bullet through one OF the con-
victs. who fell 10 the ground There
upon. seeing that death was inevitable
and further resistance useless. the con.
victs surrendered. with a rush the
officials closed around the wagon pre-
pairing TO shoot to the death II the sur
render was ar use. No resistance was
offered II was found that Convicts
Vaughn and Blake were suffering from
bullet wounds. Driver Lane and Con-
victs Ryan and Raymond were unin-
jured