Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-19
Horses Running Wild With No
Driver, Lone Live One Jumps
Into Arms of Pursuers.

warden and two guards.
Morley's story was a description OF
the ending of the battle which the
three convicts fought against probably
| 1000 sheriffs, policemen, detectives,
soldiers, farmers and civilians who
chased the copvicts for many miles
and shot them to death. With the
convicts died Roy Blunt, a young far
mer whom the fugitives captured early
yesterday. They forced him to take
them in his sled and drive the horses
at a breakneck speed for hours in an
attempt to reach Omaha and safety
among friends who are supposed to be
waiting for them in this city.
Near the farm of William Mowinkle,
three miles from the town of Gretna,
the first sight of the fugitives was
gained and the pursuers set up great
lcry.
1t was answered by a shot from the
sleigh.
One man sat on the seat Of the fast
moving vehicle. Three others were
lying down in the body behind the
high sides.
BLUNT KILLED AT FIRST FIRE
At top speed the sleigh sped down
the road. Posses could be seen coming
from all directions. The fugitives were
armed with shotguns and pistols. The
pursuers had high-power rifles and
were undoubtedly masters of the sit
Iuation. At the head of the posse rae
ed three men on horses
For Gods sake-4aen;t shoot; they
begged. "The driver is our brother. Z"
Twenty-Five rifles cracked together.
Roy Blunt, the captive. fell backward
from his seat on the sleigh. Thereaft-
eI the horses were without driver
and ran wilder than ever.
man rose from the bottom of the
sleigh With revolver in either hand
he blazed away at the oncoming posse.
From men crouching in the bottom
shotguns doomed and from the pursu-
ers came the sharp crack of the repeat
ing rifles.
The sleigh slackened its speed as the
horses struck hill. Out from the pur-
suers raced light buggy with three
men, two firing rifles and the third
driving.
Gray, the bank robber, who stood up
right in the swaying sleigh, suddenly
crumpled up and fell. In his place
arose Dowd.
KILLS SELF WITH LAST SHOT.
For a half mile the fight continued
O Dowd standing upright and firing
while other shots came from the bot
tom of the sleigh.
. Suddenly Dowd looked at his revol
!. ver Then, raising 1t to his temple
he pulled the trigger. 1t was the last
- shot in the pistol. He died immediate
q ly
Morley continued to fire and the
horses continued to run. The pursu
a ers drew nearer. Morley emptied his
= revolvers, picked up Gray's gun, snap
= ped it and, finding it empty, threw i
a from the sleigh.
a With bullets flying at him from al
" directions, Morley leaped from the We
!, hicle, raised his hands above his hetar
# and waited for the coming of the off
GERS. When the sleigh was overtakeI
three dead men lay in the bottom.
-. Morley was taken to the peniten
: tiary at Lincoln last night. Blunt
body was taken back to his younl
: wife.
The convicts, the most desperate il
- the prison, had threatened to sell thei
lives dearly. Not a man among th'
: pursuers was injured.
Usxfxsr RON x.Ux
~ From Prairie Home, where the cor
ie victs started yesterday morning, to tn
,s point at which they were killed i
!, about 35 miles. Fifteen of these wer
N travelled In the sleigh with hundreds o
N deputies within almost gunshot dis
tance, but the running fight consum
nj med only three or four miles.
val Morley will at once be tried for muI
10 der, the trial beginning probably mex
r week.
ef After his capture Morley told tn
et Police that for two days he and hi
To companions lived at the home OF fai
mer named Hall near Lincoln. Tn
Hall family were kept close prisoner
vs. and not permitted to leave the hous
id while the conyiets were there. Upo
at leaving. the fugitiyes tied Mr. an
at Mrs. Hall securely and started OF
a with the intention Of reaching Omahi
h where they expected friends to hid
them. The Halls managed to escar
he their bonds about noon yesterday.
te Morley will be given a preIiminai
rs hearing the latter part of the wee
ed or a charge of conspiracy with Il
al tent to commit murder" Morley
as trial will probably occur at ii
LAagu tarm pf court