The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-02-13
CONvICTS MAKE
DARING ESCAPE
Two Go Over PenltentiaTy Wall
During Supper Hour.
BULLETS WIZ THROUGH Ait

Guards Wing William Brennan, Guy.
ahoga County Desperate, Who Was
Confined In Hospital With Oregon
Boot on Foot-OtIs Hurley, Known
as Prison Demon, Shot Through
Shoulder, Keeps Right on Going.
Lives Of Pedestrians Endangered.
Columbus, o., Feb 10.--J. d. Kra,
mer, better known as Otis Hurley.
the prison demon, and william Bren-
nan made desperate attempt to es-
cape from the penitentary by scaling
the wall at the northeast corner of
the leg and foot by Guard Jackson.
| and was Secaptured 10 minutes after
making his getaway. Hurley, it is
| believed, was wounded in the shoul.
der, but did not stop in his flight
The men made their desperate get.
away when the convicts quit work for
supper. They secured two ladders be-
longing to construction contractors
| and locked with chains on the west
side of the penitentiary. They then
cut off with chisel the Oregon boot
which Brennan was wearing as
punishment for a recent attempt to
escape, and designed to prevent his
! getting away, crossed to the opposite
side of the enclosure and mounted
the walls. They selected a place
where workmen have been busy rails.
ing the wall and erecting a new
suardhouse.
Headed For Railroad Yards.
Both got over the wall and, with
bullets whizzing about them, started
to run toward the railroad yards, fol-
lowing the Pennsylvania tracks. The
posse witch was instantly organized
found Brennan within Is minutes and
returned him 10 the institution. The
returned convict says his runaway
mate also was shot. He says the
reason he (Brennan) attempted to
ecape was in revenge for the humil-
iation of having the Oregon boot put
en- him
Four guards engaged in the fusil.
lade. They were Charles Jackson.
oolored; Ed Eisenhardt, Abe Gordon
and Fred Hatzer.s Some used rifles
and others shetguns7 loaded with
slugs The men are considered the
best shots among the guards and are
placed on the asst wall because it is,
at the momer, ne mcst vulnerable
point in the defefises OF the institu-
ton. +tt
I. | .e H.
prisoners would have been brought
70 earth by shots but for the fact that
workmen were going to and fro out.
side, and after the men got away
from the immediate vicinity Of the
wall It was not safe to fire for fear
of killing innocent persons.
Warden Jones was visibly elated
over the summary stopping of the
flight Of at least one of the men, and
felt confident that Kramer or Hurley
could not long evade detection. The
extreme cold and the probability OF
bis being wounded were counted on
to drive him from cover.
Brennan, who was serving sen
; tence of six years for assault to kill
in Cuyahoga county. received March
, 26, 1910, spent the day In the hos
rital, under orders from the ply
sician. He left, however, to go to
, supper with his company at the
7 usual call.
On Oct. 5 last he hid out and was
found under a car in the penitentiary
. yards. For this he was decorated
with the Oregon boot which he
says. prompted him to make the sec
ond attempt to escape.
r Hurley Has Bad Record.
3 Kramer, who has the alias Lamb
/, as well as Hurley, Is now serving his
t fourth term. He is regarded as q
desperate AID 1t was talk around the
penitentiary that the posse now OF
h,s trail will give him no second In
, vitation to hold up his hands.
He. was originally received in 1896
= TO serve one year from Montgomery
county for grand larceny, The mex
/ year he was returned from the same
( county, on the same charge, to serve
r Eve years. 1t was during this second
{ term that he stabbed girl who was
r employed In the prison, and for this
i received a sentence oflf12 years fol
t cutting, TO, dill. He, was, known al
|. the. prison demon and a special sstee
: cage was constructed for his eonfne
O ment. He was released In 1908. 5a
e HIS present term IS one OF two
s wears on a sentence from Franklin
n county courts for grand larceny.