Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-01-22
Seven Persons Killed at OKLA
homa Penitentiary.
THREE OTHERS ARE WOUNDED
Armed With Revolvers Three Prison
ers Lead Desperate Fight for
Freedom.

McAleSter, Okla, an. 2O.-Seyen
persons were killed and three injur-
ed in a pistol battle at the state pen
1tentiary here which resulted when
three prisoners. armed with revolvers.
made Il dash tor liberty.
One OF the killed was John R.
Ehomas OF Muskogee, formerly United
States district Judge and at one time
a member of congress from Illinois.
He was Shot by a prisoner, The dead
are:
John r. Thomas, Muskogee, former
ly United States district judge.
II. II. Dover, superintendent Ber-
tillon department.
Patrick Oates, assistant deputy war
den.
f. c. Godfrey, guard.
China Reed. under sentence of two
years for larceny.
Tom Lane, Pauls Valley, under five
year sentence for forgery.
Charles koontZ, Comanche county,
serving forty-year sentence for man
slaughter.
The wounded are: John Martin,
turnkey, shot through cheek: C.. l..
Wood, guard, shot through arm;
Mary Foster, telephone operator, shot
through leg.
The attempted mutiny occurred at
the close of the days work and was
led by Reed, Lane and Koontz.
The three men worked in the tailor
shop and when their work was done
they approached the back door of the
office in the administration building.
There they met Martin, the turnkey.
They told Martin they wanted to see
the parole officer. AS Martin opened
the door Reed struck him repeatedly
Y tn a large revolver, shot him
trough the cheek and robbed him of
/ keys,
The three prisoners, all armed with
reyolvers and shouting to others to
follow them, ran toward the warden's
office. There they met Oates, the as
sistant warden, and before he could
defend himself Reed shot him through
the heart.
Convicts Shout Encouragement.
II lCaLCc AollliSlOh SliSbSu.
Convicts ran about shouting words
of encouragement to the mutineers.
By this time the guards We're alert
and began firing. A random shot pass
ed through a door in the Off e of Dor
YER. the Bertillon officer. killing him.
He was rushing to aid his fellow
workers when he fell.
Godfrey, the guard, sprang directly
into the path of the m%ltineerS. dis
charging his revolver at them. He,
too, fell a victim to Reeds deadly
aim.
John R. Thomas, formerly United
States district Judge and widely
known throughout Oklahoma, was sit
ting in the warden's office, awaiting
the retur OF Warden R. w. Dick, with
whom he had a business engagement.
There must be some trouble out
side he said. as he arose and walked
toward the door Of the warden's Of
fee. Apparently installing Judge
Thomas for the warden the mutineers
fired a yolley of shots at him. He
sank to the floor fatally wounded.
I earring an alarm ltllSnt De given
by the telephone operator, Mary Fos-
ter, the three men next gave their
attention to the telephone switch
board. They turned it over and tried
to d~isconnect it.
You come with us" they shouted,
as they dragged the girl into the pris-
on yard, holding her before them to
keep the guards from shooting.
Shielded by the girl, and cheered on
by 1900 convictS. the three men made
their way across the prison yard.
Only one shot was fred at them and
it struck the girl.
The three men then rushed for the
gate and opened it with the key taken
from the turnkey. Warden Dicks
horse and buggy, standing outside,
were appropriated by the conyicts
and a mad dash for liberty was made.
Mounted guards were soon in pursuit
and a merciless fire was directed at
the occupants of the buggy. The lat
ter returned the fire and kept up the
battle until all three we're killed.