The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1907-05-29
ESCAPED CONVICT.
Ed Wilson, Life Prisoner Escapes
from Sioux Falls Penti-
tiary.

Sioux Falls, May 28 One Of the
| life prisoners at the state penitentiary
escaped from that institution yesterday
morning at an early hour. His name
is Ed Wilson, and ne had been in con-
finement for fourteen years, serving a
life sentence for murder commi tteed in
Moody county
Just how the escape was made is not
positively known. Wilson was in the
hospital, falling with rheumatism,
which has annoyed him for nearly a
year past. There is guard assigned
to duty in the hospital of the peniten-
tiary during the day hours, but at
night one of the TRUSTEES, or trusted
prisoners, acts in that capacity. The
account given by the trusty who was
in cnarge Sunday night, when ques-
toned upon discovery of the escape
yesterday morning, was to the effect
that Wilson had made his getaway
about three O'Clock in the morning,
Further information could not be
elected. Just why the alarm was not
given, instead of permitting the escape
to be discovered, is not apparent. In
vestigation by the prison officials Ie-
vealed the fact that the bars in one of
the windows had been sawed through,
and that it was by this way of egress
the prisoner had made his escape.
From the window the prisoner
seemed to have lowered himself to the
ground by means of his bed clothes tied
tnn hnx fr> vlo a
plank against the twenty foot outer
side with rope which he had secured
in one of the buildings in the prison
yard. He was traced for a short dis
tance, but all signs were lost when his
steps entered the grass.
/. Wilson had expressed himself on the
subject Of escape several times during
the course of his confinement and left
the impression in the minds of many
with whom he had to do in the peni-
tentiary that If he once got outside they
would never bring him back alive. He
is badly crippled with rheumatism just
now, however, and it is not believed
he can succeed in getting very far
away
The crime for which Wilson was be-
ing punished was committed in Moo
'dy county, when the murderer and his
victim were engaged with threshing
crew then working few miles from
Flandreau. He and his victim, named
King, went to town, and spent several
hours carousing together. King exhib-
tied roll Of money, and it was this
that caused mis- death. On the way
back to the threshing camp Wilson
killed him by beating him over the
head with monkey wrench. The
murderer then robbed the body. The
following day he presented himself be-
fore the threshing boss to collect his
victims wages, and from this action
grew the suspicion that ultimately fas-
tened on him as the murderer. When
King was missed the search that was
instituted revealed his body in de-
composed condition, hidden where Will
son had left it. The latter's arrest and
trial and conviction followed, the last
being obtained only after hard legal
battle in which some of the ablest tai
ent before the bar of this state was en-
gagged, and after change of venue had
been secured to another county. Sew
eral attempts to secure pardon for the
convict have been made without sue
cess during his fourteen years Of con-
tinement.