Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-04-26
FIVE CONV|CTs
FLEE PRISON
TWO MEN CAUGHT AND TRIO is
SURROUNDED BY ARMED
GUARD.
At LEAvENW0RTH PENITENTIARy
Prisoner Use Dummy Guns to Make
Getaway-Break for Liberty Is
Result of Carefully Planned But
Poorly Executed Plot.

switch engine working in the yard OF
the federal prison here, five train rob-
bers, three serving life terms. forced
the engineer at the point of revolvers
to run the engine into the open coun-
try at an early hour today and made
their escape.
Within short time two of the men
were recaptured The three others
were surrounded in the brush within
short distance of the prison and it
was believed will be taken.
The men recaptured were Bob
Clark, sent up from Tyler, Texas, and
John Gideon of Moscow, Idaho.
The three others were Thomas A.
| Katting, sent up from Allen, Okla;
Arthur Hewett, from Caddo, Okla,
and Frank G. Rigware. one Of the
men who held up Union Pacific
mail train near Omaha last fall. The
break for liberty was made about 8
a. m. and was the result of cleverly
planned plot on the part of the con.
victs.
Dummy Guns Used.
Two of the convicts were at work
in the carpenter shop and the others
were in the tailor shop. A Union Pa.
cific switch engine had backed into
the prison yard. At the sound OF the
whistle, the men dashed into the yard
and made toward the engine. Level
ing dummy guns at the engineer, the
men climbed into the cab and COM
PEELED him to reverse his engine.
The engine. with the convicts
aboard, rushed through the west gate
into the open country and soon was
speeding toward the woods. When
the escape became known, few min
utes later, the siren whistle at the
prison was sounded at a warning to
| farmers to be on the lookout. The
whistle may be heard for miles and
its sound caused CONSERVATION. At
the same time, heavily armed guards
were placed around the gates to pre-.
vent any urther attempt to escape,
while others started in pursuit.
Two Are Recaptured.
When the engine had reached a
point half mile from the prison, the
| five men jumped to the ground and
made for the woods Clark and Gid.
con separated from the others and
soon were captured. Then every
available guard. led by Deputy Lemon,
started after the other three men. A
half mile further on, the trio was sur.
rounded in the woods. Although the
convicts are all desperate men, what
is believed their only weapons were
guns made of wood and painted in the
carpenter shop.
Rating was. employed for five years
as an engineer on the Lake Shore rail.
road and he assumed the leadership
when the engine started. He directed
| Charles Curtain, the engineer, to
throw her wide open" and told Fire.
man Willard Heeter to shovel coal las
| he had never shoveled before"
When the engine had arrived at a
point where the road was surrounded
on both sides by heavy timber the en-.
Eineer and firemen were instructed to
kill" the engine. Then the despera.
does forced the engineer and fireman
to disrobe and two of the convicts ap
propriated their garments. The men
started to force the guard to disrobe
also, but Hewett said enough time
had been wasted and the men plunged
into the woods. The trainmen then
fred the engine and rushed it back to
the prison. Clark and Gideon were
placed in solitary confinement when
returned to the prison.
Leaders Of Mutiny.
Hewett. Rating and Clark were lead.
ers of the mutiny at the prison here
on Nov. Z, 1901, when one guard and
one prisoner were killed and two
guards were wounded, and they were
serving life sentences for murder in
connection with that offense. Hewett
was the ringleader in that mutiny.
Grigware was serving life sentence
for his participation in the robbery of
Union Pacific train near Omaha, in
November, 1909. Gideon was serving
lie sentence for the robbery of
Northern Pacific mail train in Idaho,