Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1911-08-15
w. A. Hamaker Left Webster City
Some Twelve Years Ago, Goiug
to Anamosa With his
Father.
FATALLY SHOT BY Ex-CoNvIcI
Bound to a Tree and Left to Die
Alone-1njured Man Under
goes Operation.


city, was shot near Anamosa Fri
day by former convict and it 4
reported that he cannot live. Youns
| Hamaker went to AnamOsa witt
his father, Geo. w. Hamaker, some
twelve years ago, his father going Il
accept a position as guard at the
penitentiary. Later the son ac-
cepted a similar position and at the
time of the shooting both were thus
engaged. The injured man is prob
ably less than thirty years of age
as he was a mere boy when the fam
lily resided here. The following dis
patch gives the particulars of the
sad affair:
Anamosa, Ia, Aug. 12.-Some-
where between Marion and Viola
about twenty miles southwest OF
here, a posse, composed of peniten-
tiary guards, deputy sheriffs and
citizens, today is in pursuit OF
Charles Smitch, convict. Smitch
escaped from Prison Guard William
A.. Hamaker yesterday morning af-
ter the latter probably had been
wounded fatally and lashed to a
tree to prevent him from giving an
alarm.
Hamaker will die, say physicians,
who attended him. He was shot in
the stomach. Lashed to the tree
he suffered for some time before his
cries finally summoned aid.
By ruse the convict's friends
were enabled to attack Hamaker
while he was more than mile away
from the prison, alone with Smitch.
Early yesterday while Smitch was
working in a stone quarry two
miles from the prison walls some one
telephoned the warden's Office and
asked permission to see the convict.
The request was granted and Ha-
maker was ordered to bring the
prisoner to the warden's office.
Half way TO the prison Hamaker
was confronted by an armed man.
Before the guard could draw re-
volver he was shot down.
Hamaker was taken to Cedar
Rapids to hospital and just before
submitting to an operation was able
to swear to statement.
He said that only one man as
sisted the prisoner to escape. This
man, he claims, was the prisoners
brother, former convict, who re-
Gently visited the penitentiary. This
man, Hamaker said, was waiting
behind a big boulder, between the
quarry and the penitentiary. He
commanded Hamaker to throw up
his hands. Seeing that Hamaker
was reaching for his gun, the des-
perado shot but missed and Hamak-
er in turn fired but missed. Smitch
then shot the second time and Ham
aker fell.
The Smitch brothers then dragged
the guard down thirty foot en-
to buggy. The convict
changed his prison. garb for a suit
his brother had provided. Both then
dragged Hamaker several hundred
feet into the woods, where they tied
him to tree and gagged hint They
threatened to kill him If he made
an outcry.
After they had gotten out OF
hearing Hamaker got the gag out of
his mouth and called until he at
tracted the attention of two boys,
who helped him to the nearest farm
house.
The desperadoes drove several
miles in the buggy, but finally left
It in deserted lime kiln and took
to the woods.
Smitch was committed to the re-
formatory Oct. Is, 1910, under a
five year sentence for larceny i'm
posed upon him by Judge Howell of
the district court of Iowa county.
Cedar Rapids, Aug. 12.-Up to
4 late hour last night the despera-
does supposed to be in hiding in the
do S1fA