Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-05-11
Pen INNATE \ ! II ! MAKES \ A 4 II
BREAK. FOR {! R Freedom: +
lei &. re- E.
PETERsoN's TERM WOULD HAVE
EXPIRED THE EIGHTH OF
NEXT MONTH.
fade Getaway Early Monday Morn
ing While Working In the Brick
Yard Near the Pen.

Monday morning at Z o'clock Oscar
Peterson, alias Harry Thomas, made
his escape from the guards at the
state penitentiary and up to the time
Of going to press nothing of his
whereabouts were known definitely,
although the searchers are working
on clue which they hope will event
ually lead to the mans capture. Pet
erson's term would have expired on
June 8, and there is considerable con.
lecture as to the reason for the man
making a break at this time.
Peterson was employed with other
prisoners in the brick yard and was
sent into the clay pit to get out some
dirt. The pit Is beneath the surface
and he was out of sight by the time
his absence was noticed. 1t appears
that just as the man was sent to the
pit the machinery was about to be
started and as some t6Duble was ex-
perienced with starting the works his
absence was not noticed for a longer
time than would have been the case
had everything been going right. It
! is probable that he was watched less
| closely on account of the fact that
his term was about to expire and it
would look to most people to be a
| foolish proposition for him to at
| tempt an escape under the circum>
| stances.
AS soon as the escape was noticed
all the prisoners we're called to the
pen, including those who were work
ing at the capitol, and strict guard
F.! kept over them while all the men who
| could be spared were sent out on a
search for the man.
Peterson was sent up from Cass
| county Oct. 8, 1907, on a charge Of
burglary in the third degree and with
an allowance for good behavior, would
have been at liberty June 8. The
| country has been flooded with circu-
lars and phone messages have been
sent to all the cities and towns in the
state for the officials to be on the
lockout for the man, and it is very
| unlikely that he will be able to re-
| tain his liberty for any length OF
time.
In connection with the sending out
OF circulars to warn officials to be on
the lookout for Peterson, attention
has been called to a department of
the pen which has heretofore escaped
much public notice, and that Is the
printing and photographing plant at
the Grove institution. AS soon as the
escape had been noticed the printers
and photographers at the pen got
busy preparing circulars and photo
graphs of the man. A multigraph
was used for printing the description
and pictures were attached showing
two views of the man; one front
view and the other a profile. One
thousand Of these had been prepared
and mailed by 4 o'clock in the after
noon and will aid greatly the county
and, city officials in identifying the
man If he. is taken up.
The description printed on the cir
cular gives the mans appearance as
follows:
81 years of age. fair complexion,
brown hair and eyes, low forehead,
small mouth, thin lips and large nose
feet and 3D. inches in heighth,
and weighing 100 pounds. He has a
scar on the right arm beside of the
elbow.
A reward Of $50 is offered by the
state for his capture.