The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1912-03-22
A Running Fight for Three Miles.


alias shorty" Gray-who escaped |
last Thursday from the state peniten.
uary at Lincoln, and Roy Blunt, an
innocent victim OF their murderous |
attempt to secure liberty, are dead |
AZ the result OF an exciting battle be. |
tween the bandits and officers of the |
law yesterday afternoon.
Charles Morley, the third member |
OF the trio which escaped from the |
state prison after killing three Off. |
Gals OF that institution, saved his life |
by surrendering to the officers with
whom he had fought running bat |
tie over two and a half miles of coun-
try with horses on the gallop.
The three escaped convicts were
within striking distance of the goal
which they hoped might secure their
safety when the final desperate strug.
gle for liberty occurred They had
covered the stretch from Lincoln to
within ten miles of Omahas city
limits, and they had expected to re-
Ceive the protection OF some friends
It Was Rifles Against Shotsuns.
From the moment of their escape,
the three men had employed the same
desperate methods to protect them.
selves from recapture which featured
their escape from prison, and they
did not hesitate, at the crucial mo.
ment, to attempt to sell their lives
as dearly as possible. 1t was a futile
attempt, because they were armed
with shotguns and revolvers, while
their pursuers had a plentiful supply
OF repeating rifles and revolvers.
Early III the day the telephone OPP
Yerator at Gretna, about fifteen miles
south of this city, gave the alarm of
the presence in that vicinity of the
desperate men. 1t had the result of
bringing TO the vicinity no less than
six organized posses. They included
one from Omaha, composed of detec.
tives and police officers, another com
posed of Sheriff McShane and his
deputies of this county; third was
made up of Sheriff Hyer and his
deputies from Lincoln; Sheriff Chase
of Sarpy county with his deputies
were also within striking distance and
South Omaha sent two posses under
Chief of Police Briggs and the Gret-
ma company of militia We're early on
the scene.
The Death Chase Begins.
Chief Briggs of South Omaha and
his deputy, John c. Trouton, were
leaders in the party which finally ov-
ertook and vanquished the three con-
victs and shot an innocent victim of
their desperate dash for liberty.
Briggs left this city on an early morn.
ing special train with several Omaha
police officers. They left the train at
Springfield, about fifteen miles south
of here, and there learned the move
ments of the convicts. The men had
broken into a store at Murdoch, be-
tween this city and Lincoln, and stol-
en- guns, ammunition and clothing,
and of this fact the officers were APP
prised.
1t was learned that the men were
on their way north, with Albright, an
Omaha suburb, as their destination,
and the chase then began. Chief
\ Briggs secured fast livery team at
kSpringfield, Sheriff Chase also had a
hood team and Sheriff Hyers of Lin
coin joined the party.
Three miles out of Springfield, the
posse learned that the convicts had
forced James Blunt and his wife, par
ents of the murdered man, to give
them breakfast and furnish team
and wagon, with which they hoped to
escape to Albright The chase began
at once. Every man in the party was
heavily armed with rifle or revolver
The rural telephone played its part
in the chase and the pursuers were
able to learn from farmers the route
of the progress of the desperate men
A Running Fight For Three Miles.
Reaching a point eight miles from
here. the officers came up to the
vehicle carrying the convicts, near
Miwinkle school. Young Blunt was
forced to keep his horses on a run
but the officers kept up the chase un
til they We're within few hundred
Yards of the fleeing conviCts. Then
Chief Briggs driver, who led the rest
of the party, baked and refused to
drive further.
Chief Briggs himself grasped the
rens and whipped the horses into
.a, gallop. When they were within q
hundred yards of the pursued mer
Briggs and Trouton opened fire witt
their rifles. From that time unit
Morley finally surrendered it was {
dashing fight over three miles o.
rough country roads.
The convicts were armed with shot
guns and revolvers. Halls of sho
came rafting into the faces Of the
pursuers and their horses, while thu
revolver bullets were poorly aimee
and were spent in the snow-drifts OF
their side.
Farmer First to Fall.
Finally there was a halt, wheI
young Blunt toIpled back into thu
wagon, the victim Of bullet. Chic
Briggs jumped from the buggy II
which he was riding and with delhi
crate aim fired at the men in thu
wagon Meantime other members o
the posse came up and joined in tn
fusillade against the desperate men.
John Dowd was the next TO fall
Chief Briggs believes he was victim