The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1914-01-23
7 DIE IN BAT TILE
WITHIC0NNCTs
Ex-Congressman Thomas of Hill
nois Killed in Oklahoma.
PRISONERS SHOT TO DEATH
PRISONERS SHOT TO DEATH
Desperadoes Capture Girl and Use
Her as Shield in Flight From
Prison in Buggy-7Guards Elk
terminates Them.

hfcAlester, Okla, Jan. 21.-Sev en-
men are dead, one woman and two
guards wounded as the result OF an
attempt on the part of three armed
prisoners to escape from the state
penitentiary here Monday.
The Dead.
John r. Thomas, Muskogee, former
ly United States district judge and g
former representative in congress
from Illinois.
II. III. Droyer, superintendent BERTH
lon department.
Patrick Oates. assistant warden.
F. C. Godfrey, guard.
China Reed, under sentence OF two
years for larceny.
Tom Lane, under ive-year sentence
for forgery.
Charles Koontz, Comanche county
serving 40-year sentence for man
slaughter. !.
The Wounded.
John Martin, turnkey, shot through
cheek.
c. L. Wood, guard. shot through
arm.
Mary Foster, telephone operator,
shot through leg.
The attempted mutiny broke forth
at the end Of the days work. 1t was
led by Reed, Lane and Koontz.
The three men worked in the tailor
shop, and when their work was ended
they approached the back door OF the
Office in the administration building.
There they met Martin, the turnkey,
and told him 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 seized the 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
gistant warden. Before Oates could
defend himself Reed shot him through
the heart. Confusion ensued. Con-
Vcts ran about shouting words Of en-
enlargement to the mutineers. Final
~ the guards recovered themselves
Gnu GSB~Aj n lohdO1i oAh~S
passing through a door in the office
of Drover, the Bertillon officer, killed
him. He was rushing to aid his fell
Low officers when he fell. Godfrey,
the guard, sprang directly into the
path of the mutineers, discharging his
revolver at them. He, too, fell vic
tim 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 return of r. w. Dick, the warden.
with whom he had a business engage
ment.
There must be some trouble out
side he said, as he rose and walked
toward the door of the office. Appar-
emily mistaking Mr. Thomas for the
warden, the mutineers fired a volley
at him. He sank to the floor, mortal
ly wounded.
Fearing an alarm might be given
by the telephone operator, Miss Fos-
ter, the three men next gave their at
tention to the switchboard. They
turned it over and tried to disconnect
1t.
You come with u.s." they shouted,
rs they dragged the girl into the pris-
on yard. holding her before them to
Eeep 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 fired at them and
it struck the girl. AS Miss Foster
sank to the ground, wounded, the con-
victs sprang to the prison gate. With
the keys they had taken from Martin
they unlocked it and were free. Out
side the gate the horse of Dick, the
warden, was hitched. The three men
sprang into the buggy. Four men
We're killed within the prison walls
by the convicts. The slayers them
selves were shot to death outside the
prison, while fleeing in the warden s
buggy.