The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-05-24
new ARRIVAL
ATTACKED BY
JOE SULLIVAN
Nick PruSSing Set Upon by
FOrd'S Slayer and
Richard Deming.
ASSAILANTS PLACED IN
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
ALL THREE coNVlcTs WERE IN
COUNTY JAIL AT THE
SAME TIME.

Joe Sullivan. convict No. 2122 who is
serving life. Imprisonment in the state
penitentidry for the murder OF Policeman
Charles Ford. and Richard Deming, con-
Wet No. 2l02, serving ten years for high
way robbery. made a vicious attack at )
clock yesterday afternoon on Nick
PruSslng. alias Martin Brown a fellow
prisoner. Sullivan stabbed Brown in the
chln with a knife, il is said, and Dem
ing grapped and fought with SUlivans
victim as he was trying TO escape. Prus-
sing Is not seriously wounded. The two
conFicts were Immediately put in soli-
taTy confinement.
Prussing was sent 10 the penitentary on
Thursday TO serve q sentence of three
years for forging the name of p. j. Mo-
ran 10 check He had been a trustv
at the county jail at the same time that
Sullivan ana Deming were there IL IS
thought that for something that PrUssing
may have done at that time the two con-
vets had resolved 70 get even with him.
When Brown was taken into the dollhouse
on Thursday Sullivan remarked;
IN fix yOl when / get the chance"
When the bell In tie second grade cell
house was Tuns last evening as the signal
for the prisoners 10 go from their cells
Prusslng 70 come up with him. As he did
so Sullivan rushed at him. Prussing
screamed and attempted TO escape from
his assailant. Sullivan held him. how
sing ian the chin with a knife. A cash
was cut in the cOnVicIs chin and two
teeth were Knocked out. After a struggle
Prussing escaped and ran along the cor
Iidor crying for help. Deming grabbed
Prussing as he rushed along the corridor
and struck him several times.
In Solitary Confinement.
BY this time a guard had opened the
door 10 the corridor and Prussing ran out
Sullivan and Deming were Immediately
placed IN solitary confinement by War
den Pratt and Deputy Warden IRE. Sui
Ivan said that he had momentarily lost
his head Deming gave no excuse for his
act Warden Pratt has not yet decided
what viii be the punishment Of the Two
men.
Deming was arrested last fall Tor hold
ing up and rObning Daniel Webster, "a
negro. While in jail he feigned illness.
and was sent 10 the Holy Cross hoSpita
under guard. While the guard slept Dem
ing escaped from the hospital and some
months later was TecaptuTed at Hunting
ton ore. the officer making the arrest
thinking he was Joe Sullivan. When ne
was brought back 10 salt Lake DenlllS
said that he had gone from Salt Lake
to Huntington with Sullivan and that Sui
Ivan was IN the saloon with him at The
time of his arrest.
After Sullivan was brought back to Salt
Lake from Portland he was placed IN the
county iail in the same cell with Deming.
AT the trial OF Sullivan Deming testified
for the defense saying that Sheriff En-
cry had planned TO let Sullivan make On
attempt TO escape and TO kill him while
he was escaping In Tebuttal Sheriff
Emery and Deputy Sheriff Sharpe testl-
fled that il was Deming who had be-
trayed Sullivan when the latte. had made
an attempt 10 escape from the county jail.
The name of PTussing. as he was called
when in the county Jail, was not men
toned in the case, but il appears from the
attack last night that Sullivan, and pos
sibly Demng. too. believed mat IL was
he who prevented the escape by informing
the sheriff.