Norwich bulletin., 1914-01-20

 prison employees were wounded today and three convicts who attempted to escape from the state penitentiary were slain by the guards One of the men murdered by the convicts in their mad rush for liberty was John R. Thomas, of Muskogee, formerly United States district judge and once consressman from Illinois.
 Despite the commotion caused by the mutiny no general attempt was made by other convicts to join in the delivery The mutineers were en- couraged by their less desperate fel- lows who cheered the onslaught of the armed prisoners. So rapidly did the three convicts shoot down those in their path that they reached the prison gate before the guards could return their fire.
 Girl Used as Shield.
 The desperadoes had taken the keys from the turnkey John Martin, whom fhey had wounded and had sheltered themselves in their flight through the prison yard by holding Mary Foster, 9 telephone girl, in front of them un- til the only shot fired by guards in the yard hit the girl in the leg. Out side the men seized the horse and bug gy of Warden Dick and dashed away, OIlA lO DG SI1OL lO OSdbn DS guards. One of the convicts fought to the last while their stolen horse was dashed to a gallop by the other two Trey fired their last cartridges at their pursuers who poured in a deadly fire from horseback. Even after the three escaped men were lying dead in the bottom of the careening buggy the Frightened horse of the warden dash cd onward until felled by a bullet from the pursueFS.
 How the men obtained the weapons and planned the escape has not been discovered but a rigid inquiry will be fegun soon.
 List of Victims.
 Dead:
 John R. Thomas, Muskogee. formerly Emitted States district judge.
 H. H. Droyer, superintendent Ser tillon department.
 Patrick Oakes, assistant deputy warden.
 F. c. Godfrey, guard.
 China Reed, under sentence of two years for larceny.
 Tom Lane, Pauls Valley under five gear sentence for forgery.
 Charles .KOOntz, Conanche county serving forty years sentence for man slaughter.
 Wounded:
 John Martin, turnkey, shot through sheek.
 c. L. Wood, guard, shot through arm.
 Mary Foster, telephone operator, Shot through leg.
 Turnkey First Attacked.
 The attempted mutiny occurred at the end of the days work Reed, Law and Koontz worked in the tailor's shop and when their work was ended they approached the back door of the of nee in the administration building. There they met John Martin, the turnkey. They told Martin they wanted to see the parole officer. As Martin opened the door, Reed struck him repeatedly with a large revolver, shot him through the cheek and robbed him of his keys
 he three prisoners, all armed with revolvers and shouting to others to fellow them, ran towards the warden's on1ce. There they met Oakes, the as- Eistant warden, and before he could defend himself, Reed shot him through the heart
 ConVicts Encourage Mutineers.
 The greatest confusion ensued Con- Ficts ran about shouting words of en- couragement to the mutineers By this time the guards were alert and began firing A random shot passing through door in the office of Droyer, the Bertillon officer, killed him. He was rushing to aid his fellow officers when he fell.
 Godfrey. the guard, sprang directly Unto the path of the mutineers, dis charging his revolver at, them He, too, fell victim to Reeds deadly Aim.
 &ehn R. Thomas, formerly United Etates district judge and widely known throughout Oklahoma, was sitting in x1t Warden's office. awaiting the return ol Warden E. w. Dick, with whom he had 2. business engagement. Judge Thomas Mistaken For Warden.
 There must be some trouble out side, he said, as he arose and walked soWard the door Of the warden's office. Apparently mistaking Judge Thomas For the warden, the mutineers fired g Tolley of shots at him. He sank to fhe floor mortally wounded.
 rearing an alarm might be given by the telephone operator, Mary roster the three men next gave their attention to the telephone switchboard They turned it over and tried to dis connect it.
 Girl Shot by Guards Bullet.
 You come with us," they shouted. R~ they dragged the girl into the prison Sard, holding her before them to keep fhe guards from shooting. Shielded by the girls presence and cheered on by 1,o00 convicts, the three men made their way across the prison yard. Only cnt shot was fired at them and it struck the girl. As she sank to the Erccnd wounded, the convicts sprang to the prison gate. With the keys they had taken from Turkey Martin they unlocked it and were free. Out side the gate the horse and buggy of Warden Dick was hitehed. The three men sprang into it.
 on the wall the big guns began to be!ch forth at the fleeing convicts.
 The Convicts Killed
 Guards and prison officers quickly mounted horses and the pursuit be gan. II was short lived
 Aou1l never take us alive shout ec Reed as he stood up in the buggy and fired at the approaching officers. 7 hc otheN convicts bent low to avoid the scattering bullets. Reed fought the light alone. Fear stricken the others crouched behind the stagger- bne horse The guards poured 9 mer- cfle*s Ire into the buggy.
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