Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-02-07
FIGHT IN A PRISON
cONvICTS IN PENITENTIARY
AT McALESTER, OK.
USED A WOMAN AS A SHIELD
One Visitor, Three Penitentiary OFF,
ciaIs and Three Prisoners Slain
Fleeing Men Killed Outside
the Prison Walls.

the Prison Walls.
McAlester, Okla toll of seven lives
was the result of the attempt of three
desperate prisoners to escape from
the state prison here.
Armed with revolvers, which had
been slipped to them within the
prison, Tom Lane, Chiney Reed and
Charles Kuntz, convicts, overpowered
a guard, obtained the keys and made
their way to the general Offices of the
penitentiary Forcing Miss Mary Fos-
ter, stenographer and Parole Clerk
Rice before them the desperate men,
thus protected, killed four in the
prison offices and made their escape
in a buggy to the prison farm, taking
Miss Foster and Rice along Miss
Foster was seriously wounded.
The desperadoes succeeded in get
ting past the guards at the gate who
were afraid to fire because of the
presence of innocent persons but the
three men later were killtd by George
Richie, keeper of the bloodhounds,
who dismounted from his horse and
made his fight from behind the ami
NAL, picking the three prisoners from
the buggy.
OverpoWered Guard.
The attack on the prison officials
was made at o'clock in the after
noon. The three prisoners slipped
through the store room in the base
ment and up a dark stairway that
leads to tie cage in the entrance of
the main building. They appeared at
the door of the cage just as the turn
key was locking the gate after letting
out some parties. Thrustfng the gun
in the face of the guard, they demand
ed the keys. After a little parleying
they succeeded in getting the keys,
and as they reached through the bars
to unlock the gate the guard, Jack
Martin, ran for the warden's room.
Pat Oates, the assistant deputy
warden, was the only officer in the Of
fee, and Martin told him to get
gun because three prisoners had pos
session of the keys and guns. No guns
are permitted in the office, but a guard
was dispatched for firearms.
Oates and Martin stepped into side
room as the convicts entered the first
room of the officers. They ran through
the first, which was eEpty, into the
second, which was also vacated as the
news of the break was made known,
and then continued INTO the last room,
which is Warden Dicks. In the ward
ems room was Judge John R. Thomas.
former congressman from Illinois, and
of late years a citizen of Muskogee.
He was sitting in the wardens office
talking to a prisoner whom he had
been called to McAlester to consult.
The convicts rushed into the room and
demanded that all present put up their
hands. Judge Thomas responded and
begged that he be not killed, but in
the fight hat followed he was shot
through the heart
Day Sergeant Godfrey and Parole
Clerk Rice were in the room and they
put up their hands al the bidding. AS
one of the, convicts made a half turn
of the body, Godfrey attempted to
grasp him, and the sergeant was shot
through the head by another convict.
Woman Used as Shield.
The stenographer, Mary Foster, who
had run into the warden's Office to
get away from the convicts was cor
nered, and placing her in their arms,
and another convict with Rice in front,
the prisoners attempted to beat their
way back to the front office and to
the entrance.
Getting into buggy that was stand
ing at the driveway in front of the
prison, the men loaded the girl and
Rice and lifted in the wounded Kuntz
and started on the farm road that
leads west of the prison. They were
first met by guard who, not expect
ing anything of the kind, was told to
put up his hands. Needing the advice
OF Rice he did SO. They next met
the keeper Of the bloodkounds, George
Richie, who was riding a horse.
Taking in the situation, Richie dis
mounted and began shooting regard
less of the girl and Rice. His first
shot hit Lane in the head and he
dropped forward on Rice. and Chiney
Reed answering the fire was next shot
by Richie, as Lane tumbled from the
buggy. Rice threw Reed out and fell
himself to the ground and lay still as
though shot.
Senate Accepts Williams.
Washington, D. C.-The nomination