The Nevada County picayune., 1908-03-12
CONNECTS S[AY WARDEN
PRISONERS AT MONTANA STATE PENiTENTlARY MAKE FIGHT
 FOR LIBERTY.
TRUSTY TURNS MURDERER
Wounded Officer Shoots Down Two of AssaIants After Having Throat Cut and Shoulder Slashed.
 Third Inmate Runs.

Deer Lodge, Mont, March 9.-Nar den Frank Conley of the Montana state penitentiary was dangerously wounded Sunday morning and his first assistant warden, John Robinson, was killed when three life conviets, George Rock w. H. Hayes and an other whose name is not given, made a dash for liberty. Robinson's throat was cut from ear to ear and the jugu- lar vein was severed Conley's throat was gashed and he was stabbed seV- eral times in the shoulder and groin before he was able to draw his re Volver and shoot two of the assailants down. Convicts Hayes and Rock were both shot down by Conley after the latter had been wounded. It is be- neved that the warden will recover.
 The attack on the prison authorities and the attempted escape, according to the prison authorities, had been long planned by Rock and Hayes, who were cell mates. Both were armed with penknives, the blades of which were sharpened like razors.
 Attack Was Made in Office.
 The three convicts were brought to the office of the penitentiary in the courtyard Sunday morning at s o'clock by Deputy Warden Robinson to be tried for some trivial infraction of the prison rules. and Conley was waiting to sit in judgment. Hayes had for several months been a "trusty' and had been given the position of turn key He had been placed in the same cell with Rock because the authorities believed he would watch the latter, who had been regarded as a most des- perate convict.
 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, he began slashing at the deputy warden's throat. Robinson was unable to retreat or move before his throat was cut wide open and he sank to the floor, dying.
 At the same moment that Rock at tackled Robinson, Hayes drew knife and started for Conley. The latter re- treated to the rear of the office, but before he could drew his gun Hayes had slashed his throat, cutting him from the left ear to a point under the chin. The convict. seeing his intend ed victim getting away, grappled with him and stabbed him several times in the shoulder and the groin.
 Although bleeding terribly. Conley managed to draw his gun from his pocket and fired four times, with the weapon pressed against Hayes ab- domen.
 As Hayes sank to the floor, Rock rushed at Conley, who emptied the remaining cartridges in his gun into Rock and the latter also went down The third convict who had been called into the office 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 have investigated whether he was concerned 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. It Is believed that the in fraction of the rules had been planned in order to reach the warden's office where the convicts would have more chance in making a dash for liberty