The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-01-22
SEVEN ARE SLAIN
IN BATTLE WITH
FLEEING CONWCTS
Ex-Congressman Thomas OF ILL
nois Killed in Oklahoma.
PRISONERS SHOT TO DEATH
Desperadoes Ca pture Girl and Use
Her as Shield In Flight From
Prison in Buggy-Guards Elk
terminates Them.

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persons were killed and three others
were wounded in pistol battle at the
| state penitentiary here, which result
ed when three prisoners, armed with
revolvers, made a dash for liberty.
The Dead.
John r. Thomas, Muskogee, former
ly United States district Judge and
| former representative in congress
| from Illinois.
H. n. Drover, superintendent BERTH
Ion department.
Patrick Oates, assistant warden.
f. G. Godfrey, guard.
| China Reed under sentence OF two
years for larceny.
Tom Lane under fiye-year sentence
for forgery.
Charles Koontz, Comanche county
serving 40year sentence for man
slaughter.
The Wounded.
John Martin, turnkey, shot through
cheek.
G. 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. II was
led by Reed, Lane and Koont2,
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.
! .oistant Warden Shot
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. Before Oates could
defend himself Reed shot him through
the heart. Confusion ensued. Con
yicts ran about shouting words of en-
couragement to the mutineers. Final
ly the guards recovered themselves
and began firing. A random shot
passing through a door in the ONCE
of Droyer, the Bertilon officer, killed
| him. lie 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 vie
Tim to Reeds deadly aim.
Thomas Killed for Warden.
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 Il. 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 fred yolley
at him, He sank to the floor, mortal
| ~ wounded
I'dliuR al III IilShL Dt blN'i
by the telephone operator Miss Eos
ter. the three men next gave their at.
tention to the switchboard They
| turned il over and tried to disconuect
II.
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.
Girl Used as Shield.
| Shielded by the girl and cheered on
| by 800 conyicts the three men made
| their way across the prison yard.
Only one shot was fired at them and
1t struck the girl. As Miss Foster
| sank to the ground, wounded, the con
vlcts sprang to the prison gate With
the keys they had taken from Martin
they unlocked ii and were free. Out
side the gate the horse Of Dick, the
warden. was hitched. The three men
sprang into the buggy. -Four men
were killed within the prison walls
by the convcts. The slayers them.
selves were shot to death outside the
prison, while fleeing in the warden's
| buggy.
Thomas Long In Congress.
Mr.. Thomas, who was killed in the
warden's office, served five terms as
representative in congress from the
| Fourth Illinois district from 1879 10
! $50. Shortly after retiring from con
gress he moved to what then was In
dian territory, and In 1897 was ap-
pointed United States district Judge
BY President Mckinley. When his
term expired in 1901 he engaged IN
the practice OF law in this city Mr.
Thomas also had served as past grand
master OF the Masonic lodge in Nil
nois. He was siXty.siS years old and
was born in Mount Vernon, H. His
SON John r. Thomas, Jr., is a captain
in the First regiment, u. s. infantry
stationed at Honolulu.