The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-10-14
Eight Escape and Spread Terror Throughout Sur
 rounding Country
QUIET IS RESTORED
 AFTER LONG FIGHT
Marshal Returns From Hills Bringing One of Escaped Convicts Badly W0unded-Convicts Hold
 Citizens At Bay

Rawlins, Nyo. October 13.--A battle
 ragged early tonight in the state peni-
 tentiary. Locked inside the walls with
 hundreds of mutinous prisoners, few
 guards fought desperately to restore or
 der and prevent wholesale jail de- livery.
 Camped outside the walls was force of citizens heavily armed ready to drive
 back the convicts if they murdered the remaining guards and made rush through the gates. Shouts and occas- ional shots told of desperate fighting
 within the walls. and it was rumored that several guards and convicts were killed.
 Another battle was in progress at the same time in the hills south of Rawlins, between a posse of citizens and from twenty to forty escaped prisoners. Two
 men were killed in the streets of Raw lins, one was desperately wounded and two convicts were recaptured. following the escape of from ten to thirty pris- oners this afternoon.
 Rawlins in Panic The town is In panic. Frantic tele- grams were sent to Governor Carey, now
 at Sheridan. imploring him to send state troops to protect the citizens. Towns people barricaded themselves in their homes tonight or heavily armed, pa trolled the streets.
 The outbreak today was the second within twenty-four hours. About 3 p. m. yesterday, twenty prisoners escaped and nine were. recaptured before o'clock About D. m. today two life termers overpowered the keeper of the cell house, took his keys and released their com rades 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 fusillade of shots inside the walls. A bedlam of shouts and yels echoed from the prison. A few seconds later more than a dozen men dashed down the main street armed with guns and knives. Holding the few citizens on lthe street at bay, with revofvers. they charged into a livery barn. holding up
 the proprietor and hastily throwing sad- dies and brides on the horses Barber Killed
 A huge negro with a revolver was left as guard on the outside. Charles Stress
 ner. barber, had heard the commo- ton, and came down the street with a
 shotgun. The negro shot him through the head, killing him instantly At the sound of the shot the convicts swarmed from the barn, some with stolen horses and some afoot. A Mexican wan tonly stabbed the proprietor in the face, severely wounding him, and few sec onds later paid for the deed with his life. Hugh Rogner, deputy sheriff, shot him twice, killing him almost instantly Leaving their dying comrade, the con- victs made dash for the rocky hills. south of the town. A party of peniten- tiary guards followed in close pursuit and before the bewildered citizens had had time to form a posse pursuers and fu- gitives had disappeared among the hills. In 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 inn passable stretch of rocky country be- tween here and the Colorado line. Until night fall running battle was kept up and late tonight occasional volleys of shots in the distance told of the progress of the man hunt.
 Six Located in Canyon Jus tbefore night fall six convicts were located in canyon about a mile south of Rawlins Twenty deputies. each armed with two revovers and repeat ing rife, were sent to capture or .--l them. The deputies reached the spot and found the convicts barricaded. ready for battle Deciding that an attack in the dark was too dangerous the officers surrounded the stronghold of the des- peradoes and will wait for daylight be- fore closing in.
 In the meantime a search of the town was made. One convict was found hid ing in caboose in the railroad yards. xf : tntfo rttn were taking him heavily roned back to the penitentiary, but the arrival of more guards prevented lynching. The man was hustled into the prison. Some time later John Childs captured another con vict in his cellar.
 While most of the pententiary guards were pursuing the convicts who fled 10 the hills. the small body left In the prison faced still more desperate slt- uation. When the doors of the cells were unlocked large number of con victs who did not join in the break for liberty were set free inside the walls. Many of them were armed. Soon riot was in progress. the guards battling des- perately to save their own lives and pre- vent the escape of every convict in the institution. The gates remained locked and no definite word came out early to- night regarding events within. Early re- ports that several men were killed had not been confirmed several hours later Reign of Terror Persons coming into town from the south bring stories of reign of terror in the country districts. Riders have been sent to the ranches for radius of several miles warning the owners to be prepared 10 defend their property Several parties who went south today on horseback or in carriages returned to- night afoot. their horses having been stolen by the convicts.
 The escapes of yesterday and today appear to be the result of a general plot inside the prison.
 It Is not known how the prisoners who made their break for liberty this after noon got the guns with which they were supplied when they dashed from the gates. It is possible. the local officers believe. that they killed A number of guards after overpowerins the cellhouse keeper and took their weapons. Another theory is that the guns were smugglei into the prison by friends of the n1ea who escaped yesterday.
 Warden Missing
 1 Warden Aston has been in the hills since last night and has not been To- cated. although couriers were sent out tonight to tell him of the events of the