Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-28
ATTEMPTS ESCAPE
IS SHOT BY GUARD
-----------------
Mike Aaron, Ex-ConviCt Brought
Down BY Bullet from
Harris Gun.
DIES AT ST. MARKS HOSPITAL
Meets Death While Making Break
From Chain Gang--Shot
Through the Head.

Mike Aaron, alias Ahearn, alias Bern
stein, ex-convict, petty thief and vag-
rant. was shot through the head by
Policeman George Harris, one OF the
guards on the chain gang, In City creek
canyon. about $3.50 yesterday afternoon.
Aaron died at st. Marks hospital at
$3.50. He was shot while trying to es-
cape from the chain gang. Two shots
we're fired by Harris The first shot
was fired in the air by Guard Kast.
The others, according to Guard Har-
rls, were fired at the mans legs. one
of the bullets struck Aaron just above
the left ear and came out on top of
his head.
When the chain gang was taken out
yesterday morning, Aaron said to one
bf the prisoners that he proposed to
escape from the gang. He was serving
a sentence OF 80 days for yagrancy
Harris overheard the remark and
warned the man that he had better not
try to get away
The gang was divided yesterday af-
ternoon, Guard Kast having charge of
one division. and Harris watching the
other about block away from Kast.
with Aaron five other prisoners were at
work. The man asked permission to
20 to the creek for a drink of water,
and Kast permitted him to go. Aaron
dashed into the brush and began to run.
Kast called upon him to halt and then
fired a shot in the air to attract the
attention of Harris. The escaping pris-
oner was going in the direction of the
other gang. Harris heard the shot
and soon spied Aaron running along
the hill about 100 yards from the guard.
Harris called upon him to halt, but the
man paid no attention to him. He
ran i'm crouched position and seemed
to care nothing for the desperate
chances he was taking. Harris fired
a shot at the mans legs. Aaron
stopped for 81 moment and then ran
on again. Harris fired u second shot,
he says at Aaron's legs but just as
the shot was fired. Aaron dropped
down and the bullet struck him in the
head He fell, and Harris hurried to
the man. At first the guard thought
the man was only shamming and or
dered him to get up. Then Harris saw
blood flowing from the wounded mans
head
Word was at once sent to police head
quarters and the patrol wagon hurried
to the scene. The wounded prisoner
was hurried to the emergency hospital,
when DIR. s. G.. Paul made an exam
nation. The physician at first
thought Aaron had a. chance for re-
covery and sent him to St. Marks hos
pital, where he died at $50
II called on the man three times to
stop before ] shot" said Harris He
was running In a crouched position,
and fired at his legs. / called on MIN
repeatedly to come back to the gang
but he only ran the faster. The last
shot l fired is the one that hit him,
/ aimed at his legs but he was in
crouched position and Just as | Aired he
went down an incline and the bullet
struck his head"
Aaron was well known to the peace
officers of this city. He was Ger
man Jew. and came to Salt Lake in the
In the city jail for various offenses
and on one occasion tried to escape
from Deputy Sheriff Sperry. The lat
ter fired at the man and struck him in
the heel. Shortly after this episode
Aaron was convicted OF grand larceny
Utah state prison. After his release
he was arrested several times. He
also served two years In the Montana
state prison for robbery. Aaron made
a practise of selling 'phony jewelry
and recently served term In the
county Jail for smuggling morphine
and other drugs into the state prison.
Aaron was arrested for vagrancy
some time ago and WAS given what
the police call a "floater," He failed
TO leave town and was arrested ana
sent to work on the chain gang for
period of three months.
The man came here from Montreal
where his parents reside. His father
and brother are IN business there. His
relatives have been notified by tele-
graph OF Aaron's oath. The body was
taken to ODonnell's undertaking par
Tors.
The inquest and inquiry into the cir
cumstances of the shooting were set
for 3 o'clock this afternoon in JUS
tice Dana T. Smiths court.