The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1912-05-04
TRUSTEES ESCAPE
FROM CARSON PEN

Three convicts, two of them honor
men, made their escape from the state
penitentiary and prison farm within
"a hours. Frank Webb and James B
Lyles, honor men employed at the
prison farm, made their escape some
time Wednesday night, their absence
being noted at an early hour Thursday
morning when the alarm was at once
sounded.
George w. James, a trusty at the
prison, walked away from that insti.
tuition Thursday evening and his alb
sence was noted about twenty minutes
after his departure. Prison guards and
members of the state police Immediate
ly started out on his trail and the off,
GERS in the nearby towns were notified.
Lyles, who was serving an eight
year term for grand larceny, having
been convicted in Elko county and
received at the prison October 26,
1910, had been employed at the
prison farm for fourteen months, and
was regarded as one of the most
trustworthy convicts in the state in
stitution. At the time that George
Deal made his escape from the prison
farm Lyles aided in the search and
was at liberty for nearly a day at
tempting to track down the escaped
convict. At the time that Jim An
tone essayed his dash for liberty from
the road camp Lyles again participat-
ed in the search and was one of the
prisoners who captured Antoine and
brought him back to the camp.
Webb was serving a twenty-five
year sentence, having been convicted
in Reno on a charge of robbery. He
1909, and had worked at the farm for
ten months.
The farm overseer took check at
5 O'Clock Wednesday night and at
that time both Webb and Lyles were
present. When the check was taken at
6 O'Clock the next morning both men
were missing, as We're two horses from
the farm and a rifle and shotgun.
With both men mounted and well arm
ed and known to be desperate, it is
doubtful that if they are apprehended
they will submit without a fight A
quantity of provisions was missing
from the farm kitchen and from all
appearances the men had made elabor.
ate preparations for their break.
James was received from Humboldt
county on October %, 1907, to serve a
thirteen year sentence for robbery
He was emppyed as trusty in the
guards dining room and was noticed
at his duties when the 5 O'Clock
check was taken. Twenty minutes
later his absence was noticed and the
alarm promptly given. The trail led
in the direction of Genoa and it ap-
pears that his capture is probable.
Convicts Returned to Prison.
Thursday the board of prison direct,
ors ordered the convicts working on
the roads and at the farm returned to
prison, and during the afternoon the
order was carried into effect
While it had been hoped by citizens
of the state that the "honor system
inaugurated by Warden Baker might
prove successful, many were skeptical
but were favorable to the experiment
being given a thorough trial It is pos.
sible that the fault lay with the war
den, who allowed long -termers to go
out as TRUSTEES, 30 not taking into
full consideration the great tempta-
tion to escape he was affording men
whose sentences run from eight and
ten years to twent-fve, or perhaps
life.
Men sentenced to prison should be
given every reasonable opportunity
to reform, and should be treated like
men, but at the same time the officials
should take into consideration the
frailty of human nature and remember
the old adage, ian ounce of preven
tion is worth a pound of cure