Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-14

| few guards fought desperately TO
| restore order and prevent a whole
sale Jail delivery.
Camped outside the walls was q
force Of citizens, heavily armed, ready
! to drive back the conviets if they
| murdered the remaining guards and
| made {, rush through the gates
Shouts and occasional shots told of
desperate fighting within the walls.
and it was run1ored that several
| guards and convicts We're Killed
Another battle was in progress at
the same time in the hills satltlS of
Rawhns between a posse of citizens
and from 20 TO 40 escaped prisoners
Two men were killed in the streets
cf Rawlins, two desperately wounded
and TWO cenvicts were recaptured, fol .
lowing the escape of from 10 to 30
prisoners. this afternoon AThef town
is in Il panic. Frantic kilograms were
sent to Coy Carey, now at Sheridan,
implorng him to send state troops
to protect the citizens. Townspeople
barricaded themselves in their homes,
tonight, or heavily armed. patrolled
the streets.
The outbreak. today, was the sec
ond within "a hours. About p. NJ,
yesterday, 20 prisoners ESCAPED aud
nine were recaptured before o'clock.
At 2.S0, this afternoon, party OF
desperate life termers over powered
the cell house keeper. took his KEYS
and released their comrades from
their cells. Every prisoner willing to
risk battle with the guards, made a
rush for the gates.
A moment later, the citizens OF
the town heard a fusilade of shots IN
side the walls. A bedlam of shouts
and yells echoed from the prison. A
few seconds later more than dozen
men dashed down the main street,
armed with guns and knives Holding
the few citizens at bay with -reyolVers,
they charged into a livery barn. hold
ing up the proprietor and hastily
throwing saddles and brides on the
horses
A huge Negro armed with revolver
was left as guard on the outside.
Charles Stressner, barber, had heard
the commotion and came down the
street with a shot gun. The Negro
shot him through the head. killing him
instantly.
At the sound of the shot the conNlcts
swarned from the barn, some with
stolen horses and some afoot. A Mexican
wantonly stabbed the proprietor in the
face, severely wounding him. and few
seconds later paid for the deed with his
life. Hugh sRogner. deputy sheriff, shot
him twice, killing him almost instantly.
Leaving their dying comrade, the con-
victs made dash for the rocky hills
A ,rttt of
.tiary guards followed in close pursuit.
and before the bewildered citizens had
had time to join them, pursuers and flu
eitives had disappeared among the hills.
IN a short time posses had been formed
and one of the most desperate man hunts
in the history of the West was on. The
convicts scattered into small groups, all
striving to escape in the almost impas-
sable stretch of rocky country between
here and the Colorado line. Until night
fall a running battle was kept up and.
late tonight, occasional volleys of shots
in the distance told of the progress OF
the chase.
Just before nightfall six convicts were
located in canyon about a mile south
of Rawlins.
Twenty deputies, each armed with two
revolvers and a repeating rifle. were
sent to capture or kill them. The depu-
ties reached the spot and found the con-
victs barricaded ready for battle. De-
Gliding that an attack in the dark was
toe dangerous, the officers surrounded
the stronghold of the desperadoes and
will wait for daylight before closing in.
In the meantime y search of the
town was made. One convict was found
hiding in a caboose in the railroad
yards. Citizens overpowered the guards
who were taking him, heavily ironed,
back to the penitentiary, but the ar
rival of more guards prevented
lynchng. The man was hustled into
the prison. Some time later John
Ghilds captured another convict IN
his cellar.
While most of the penitentiiary
guards were chasing the convicts
through the hills. the small body left
in the prison faced a still more desper-
ate situation When the doors of the
cells were unlocked large number oil
conviets who did not join in the break
for liberty were set free inside the
walls. Many of them were armed. Soon
a riot was in progress the guards bat
lives and prevent the escape of every
convict in. the institution. The gates
remained locked and no definite word
came out. early tonight, regarding
events within. Early reports that sew
eral men were killed had not been con-
firmed several hours later.
Persons coming into town from the
south bring stories of reign of ter
ror in the country districts. Riders
have been sent to the ranches for
radius of several miles. warning the
owners to be prepared to defend their
property. Several parties, who went
SOUTH, today. on horseback or in car
riages returned, tonight, afoot, their
horses having been stolen by the con-
yicts.
The escapes of yesterday and to-
day appear to be the result of a gem
eral plot inside the prison.
1t is not known how the prisoners,
who made their break for liberty, this
afternoon, got the guns with which
they were We'll supplied when they
dashed from the gates. 1t is possible,
the local officers believe, that they
killed a number of guards. after over
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