Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1908-03-19
One Killed, Other Captured
Two Desperate Escaped Conviets
From State Psnitsntiary
Come to Grief.
BassonoIla Shot In Head. Woolen
Shot In Log and Brought
Back Alive.

O0OA eSubVVl
Bismarck, March. 16. ALFRED Wool
en- and Joe Bassenalla, the prisoners,
who escaped from the Bismarck pen,
Friday morning were both overtaken
Saturday.
Joe Bassanella, aged 26, the escaped
murderer was shot and killed Satuf-
day afternoon in a pistol duel with
Sheriff John A. Beck of Mclean
county, and a farmer named Fred
Phister, while the convict was resis-
ting arrest in clump of bushes near
the Missouri river in Mclean coun-
ty, sixty miles from Bismarck.
Alfred Woolens, his comrade, who
escaped at the time, was captured by
farmers fifteen miles west of Mandan,
he having no arms with which to
put up fight.
Bassanella's end came after lively
chase by the sheriff of three or four
miles, he being on horse back and the
Offices in a buggy. Coming to a rag
ged coulie leading to-the river Basa-
bnella abandoned his horse and ran
down the steep banks just as the
oficels reached the edge from where
they fired eight shots at him without
effect.
& Bassanella gained the shelter of a
patch of timber and scrubby under
brush and tor two hours the hunters
searched before they located him.
They commanded him to surrender
and he replied with shot from
small target pistol he had stolen ear
lier in the day from shack of a
farmer. The pursuers closed in on
him and when about hundred feet
away Bassanella fred again, saying
he would die before he would surren-
der. ,1hereupon the officers opened
lire with an automatic pistol and
Winchester and after few shots
Bassanella fell dead, having been shot
through the head as he was reloading
his pistol, which was one shot
affair. L. is not known If more than
one shot hit him as the body has not
been examined and lies in the jail at
Washourn awaiting the coroner's in
quest.
Early Friday morning farmer
named NJ. l.. Keever, living II miles
north of Che city came to Bis narck
and repolt,d d to Warden Hel stlom
! that while lie and his family were
away from home hat day his house
had been robbed OF a % target pistol,
ammunition, a razor, a field glass and
a suit of clothes. There we're rifle
and shot gun with ammunition in
the house, and from the fact that
they WERE not removed made him be-
lieve Ba sanella hao stolen the other
stuff. About the same time word
came from point eight miles west
of Keefer's that hOr.e had been
stolen from the pasture of Peter
Luyben. On this clue guards were
sent north of where they had been
scouting and word wired all along
the northern country. Soon after
noon Fred Pifster vas on his way to
Washburn with a load of coal when
he met :.Bassanella and recognized
him. On arriving at Washburn he
notified the sheriff and with him
went at once afGer the convict.
1t now appears that when the con-
victs stole the two horses from the
farmer five miles east of town early
Friday morning the one Bassanella
rode, threw him and got away, SO he
then left Woolen and struck out
north on foot. Keever Ieft his home
at 8 a. m., and was back at noon, so
Bassanella must have made good
time. The articles stolen from !. Mr.
Keever were found..on the convict, he
having pulled on the clothing over
his prison garb, as the suit was far
too large for him.
CAPTURE.OF WOOLENS.
Woolens, who escaped once from
the Stutsman county Jail, lin 1905,
was recaptured about year later
and nearly escaped again and who
was serving five year sentence in
the penitentiary, was captured by
two farmers near the railroad track
of the N. p. west Of Mandan Satur-
day p. n. after an all day chase by
officers and guards. He was brought
back to the pen on No. 2 Saturday
morning.
After he left Bassanella he rode to
the river BY q wide detour south OF
he city and TUNED the horse loose,
hiding 10 the bushes until dark, when
s,1