Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-09-09
IMPRISONED THUGS
ALMOST KILL WHEN
TRYING TO ESCAPE
Found Lying on Bunk With
Blood Streaming from Scalp
Wounds and Nearly
Choked Lifeless.

Onawa, Ia, Sept. L.
Pounced upon and overpowered
before he could make an out
cry, Sheriff Ed Rawlings, of
Monona county, after being Sc
verely beaten, was gagged,
bound, thrown upon a prison
cot and left in an almost dy-
ing condition by three men
charged with burglary, when
he entered their cell to give
them their breakfast in the
county Jail at Onawa at s
o'clock today. The desperate
prisoners escaped, but were
quickly recaptured.
The men at their preliminary hearing
at Onawa early in the summer gave
their names as William McGlade, Chi
cago; Frank Williams, Kansas City,
n John Barker. Omaha.
Sheriff Rawlings condition, by reason
of the tightness of the gag and the
fact that he lay in terrible agony an
hour, is critical. A large crowd has
gathered in town and in case of the
sheriff's death a lynching is feared.
A large number Of extra deputies have
been sworn in and every thing will be
done to prevent violence.
About 8 o'clock the sheriff was missed.
A deputy sent to investigate found the
cell of the burglars open. Inside on
the rough prison bed he found the
sheriff covered with blood, with three
ugly cuts on his head. in the last
stages of strangulation.
In Dangerous Condition.
In a moment the town was aroused.
Physicians quickly attended the wound
ed sheriff n CAV the opinion that
had he no been found for another half
hour he undoubtedly would have been
dead His flesh is terribly lacerated
where the cords which bound his hands
and legs bit into it.
When the prisoners escape and the
sheriff's serious condition was learned,
j. a.. Pritchard, f. G., ]. A. and G. w.
Oliver, heavily armed started out In an
automobile after the prisoners. They
found the general directions they had
taken and racing over hills and dales
at reckless speed followed the clew.
when about three miles = ce .c"I
they saw a man who answered the
description of one of the prisoners.
Overtaking him he was covered with
revolvers and loaded into the car. At
the Jail he was identified as one OF the
alleged burglars and locked In a cage
Then while others searched in other d.
rections the four men went owe their
Did route, on the theory that the trio
of prisoners would keep relatively close
together. AS they topped a hill, across
q little valley on q rise, they saw two
men enter a corn field. With all pos
sible haste the men plunged INTO the
high standing corn.
Chased Two Miles.
The quarry, flushed, exerted every
effort to escape, but with the sureness
OF bloodhounds the men kept on their
track. The man hunt continued for
two miles on foot, then exhausted the
fugitives, seeing the hopelessness OF
their effort, stood at bay. Heavy cal
ibered weapons were leveled and the
men surrendered. As the machine
pulled UP at the Jail and the two men
saw the hostility of the large crowd
that had c~ongregated, their eyes lost
their defiant, threatening CLINT and they
marched with trembling knees into the
Jail before weapons that needed only
the veriest pretext to explode.
Hourly the crowds in own are being
augmented by old friends and former
neighbors of the sheriff. His condition
is being closely watched. Calm heads
are doing everything in their power to
caution order, but it is admitted by
all hat IL Rawlings dies ii will be diff
ficult TO keep order.
Sheriff Rawlings drove up to the Jail
with his two small sons, who remained
waiting IN the buggy while he went
In to give the prisoners their break
fast. 1t was intended to scrub out the
jail that morning and while the sheriff
leaned over to pull out a tub he was
attacked from the rear by G
No sooner was the assault made h a
the other two men jumped up and
overpowered l He was told to
make no cutlery, for IL he did 1t would
be necessary To dispose of his sons.
This explains the fact that he did not
cry out. hen he was securely gagged
and tied to the cot.
Since he has regained consciousness
ne has explained that he was treated
fairly well under the circumstances
and that he vas not struck at any
time. He explains the contusions on
his head by saying he received them
IN striking his head against the tub.
When brought back to the jail the
prisoners had nothing to say other
thar that they wanted TO get away.
They were arrested for a burglary
committed at the Northwestern station
on the night of July / N We're bound
over TO the grand jury which meets
October /.
Seventeen automobiles and IA men
on horseback spent most of the
morning searching for the fugitives.
DETECTIVE FRACTURES
SKULL OF OFFENDER