Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-01-23
THREE DESPERATE PRISONERS
AT McALEsTER, OKLA, SHOT
DOWN FOUR MEN BEFORE
BEING SHOT.
TOOK KEYS FROM TURNKEY,
USED GIRL FOR A SHIELD
OUTSIDE GATE SIEZED WAR
DENIS BUGGY, DASHED AWAY,
PURSUED BY GUARDS ON
HORSEBACK.
Dead.

Dead.
John r. Thomas, Muskogee, former
Iy United States district judge.
H. H. Drover, superintendent Ber-
tillion department.
Patrick Oates, assistant deputy
warden.
F. c. Godfrey, guard.
China Reed, under sentence of two
years for larceny.
Tom Lane, Paurs Valley. under five
years sentence for forgery.
Charles Koontz. Comanche county
serving 4O-year sentence for man
slaughter.
Wounded.
John Martin, Turn1y, shot through
cheek.
c. L. Wood, gaurd, shot through
arm.
Mary Foster, telephone operator,
shot through leg.
McALESTER, Okla. Jan. 19-Seven
men were shot to death and there per-
sons were injured today when three
convicts attempted to escape from the
state pennitentiary and were slain by
guards. One of the men murdered by
the convicts in their mad dash for lib
erty was John R. Thomas of Musko-
gee, formerly United States district
judge, and once congressman from
Illinois.
Despite the commotion caused by
the three men in trying to shoot down
everyone who came in their way, no
general attempt was made by other
convicts to join in the delivery. The
three men were encouraged by their |
less desperate fellows, who cheered
the onslaught of the armed prisoners.
So rapidly did the three conviets
shoot down those in their path that
they reached the prison gate before
the guards could return their fire.
Get Prison Keys.
The desperadoes had taken the keys
from the turnkey, John Martin, whom
they had wounded, and had sheltered
themselves through the prison yard by
holding Mary Foster, a telephone op-
orator, in front of them until the only
shot fired by guards in the yard hit
the girl in the leg.
Outside the gate the men seized the
horse and buggy of Warden Dick and
dashed away, only to be shot to death
by pursuing guards. One of the con-
victs fought to the last, the stolen
horse lashed to gallop by the other :
at the oncoming guards 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 dashed onward until
felled by bullet from the pursuers. y
How the men obtained the weapons r
and planned the escape has not been !,
discovered, but a rigid inquiry win be +
begun soon.
The Mutiny. :,
r
he end of the days work and was led q
~ Reed, Lane and Koontz.
The three men worked in the tailor !,
hop and when their work was ended NJ
hey all watched the back door of the
'ffice in the main building. There n
hey met Martin, the turnkey. They
old Martin they wanted to see the pa c
ole officer. AS Martin opened the
oor, Reed struck him repeatedly with
large revolver. shot him through the W
heck and robbed the turnky Of his p'
eys. &C
Then the three prisoners, all armed nj
nth revolvers, and shouting to others OF
0 follow, ran toward the warden's Of
ce There they met Oates, the as K
stant warden, and before he could w
efend himself, Reed shot him through cf
ne heart. &C
A great confusion ensued. convicts &C