Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-09
PRISON GUARD
is KILLED BY
2 VICTS
WARDEN SHOOTS DOWN BOTH
ASSAILANTS
Fight Between Prisoners and Officials
of Montana State Penitentiary Re-
suits in One Death and Three
Terribly Wounded

By Associated Press.
DEER LODGE, Mont, March g.
Warden Frank Conley of the Montana
state penitentiary was wounded ter
ribly this morning and his first assist
ant warden, John Robinson. was
killed when three life-term convicts-
George Rock, W. H. Hayes and an
other--made a dash for liberty in the
penitentiary office at o'clock.
1t is thought the warden will live.
Robinson's throat was cut from ear
to ear and the jugular vein was severed.
Conley's throat was gashed and ne
was stabbed several times in the groin
and shoulder before he was able TO
draw his revolver and shoot down two
of the assailants Hayes and Rock.
The attack on the prison authorities
and subsequent effort to escape has,
according to the prison authorities,
been long planned by Rock and Hayes,
who were cell mates. Both were armed
with penknives, the blades of which
were sharpened to razor edge.
The three convicts We're brought TO
the office of the penitentiary in the
court ward this morning at o'clock by
Deputy Warden Robinson to be tried
for some trivial infraction of the prison
rules, and Conley was waiting to sit m
Judgment.
Havos had for several months been
a trusty and had been given the posi-
tion of turnkey He had been placed
in the same cell with Rock because
the authorities believed he would
watch the latter, who was considered
the most desperate criminal in the in
stitution.
Attacks Warden
The moment the men entered the
office door Rock turned swiftly upon
Robinson, who was closing the door
behind the men, and quickly draWing
out a knife began slashing at the
deputy warden's throat. Robinson was
unable to retreat or moTe before his
throat was cut wide open, and the sank
to The floor dying.
At the same moment that Rock at
tackled Robinson, Hayes also pulled out
a knife similar to that of Rock and
started for Conley The latter retreated
to the rear of the office. Before Conley
could draw his revolver. however,
HAYES had slashed his threat, cutting
him from the left ear to a point under
the chin.
The convict. seeing his intended vic
tim getting away, arappled with him
and stabbed him several times in the
shoulder and the groin. Although
bleeding terribly, Conley managed to
draw 11S gun iiiS lsoShCN eNilu ia
four times with the weapon pressed
against Hayes abdomen. AS Hayes
sank to the floor Rock rushed at Con-
lev. who shot him twice, and Rock
also went down.
The third convict who had been
called to the carpet took to his heels
at the first of the battle, but was
quickly captured and placed in his cell.
The authorities refused to give out
his name until they had investigated
whether he was connected in the plot.
or whether he had merely been called
to the office at the same time as the
other two.
How the convicts, Hayes and Rock,
secured possession of the knives is a
mystery. The infraction of rules may
have been planned in order to reach
the warden's office, where the con-
victs would have more chance in maxi
ing a dash Tor liberty.
Rock was shot twice through the
lungs and Hayes three times through
the abdomen. Both are badly wounded
but it is believed they will recover.