The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-05-03
MURDER OFFICER WITH
OWN GUN; STOPS ALARM
Arms Are Secured From Mysterious
Source Desperadoes Hold Barri-
cade For Several Hours-Four Of
Fugitives Are Surrounded In Woods
Near kentwood, la, by Armed
Guards.

Guards.

Magnolia, Miss, May 3.-Nine con-
victs, both negroes and whites, es-
capped from the Pike county penal
farm, three miles south of Magnolia
Yesterday morning Tho n~isnnars SIR.
rounded their guard, J. F. Jones, dis
armed him, and with his own revol-
yer, shot him through the neck.
Jones was left lying in the work
field wounded perhaps mortally. The
nine convicts dashed to freedom in a
strip of swamp land that extends from
this section southwark to the Missis-
sippi- Louisiana state line.
At noon the escaped prisoners had
advanced as far as the swamps sur
rounding Osyka, several miles north
of the Louisiana line. In this swamp
they set up a sort of barricade and
until dark fought off posse of TWEEN
ty-five men, which, under Sheriff
Quinn, had picked up the trail and
raced through the swamps in pursuit
Plunge Further Into Swamps.
With the coming of dark, the con-
victs quilted their temporary fortifi-
cation and withdrew farther south in.
to the swamps. Six bloodhounds were
placed on the trail but by midnight
the fugitives had shaken off pursuit
and lodged themselves so deeply in
the swamps that Sheriff Quinn gave
up the chase for the night 1t was
believed that they crossed into Louis
lana and were headed through the
swamped land for New Orleans.
Somehow, the convicts obtained
arms and ammunition in the course OF
their southwark fight. Cities and
towns between Osyka and New Or
leans have been warned to watch for
the advance of the fugitive group.
Warnings alse were being sent to the
plantations along the probable course
Of the run-aways' route.
Five of the nine escapes are ne
groes. While all Of the nine were as
signed to the penal farm on minor Of
fenses they are known to be vicious
characters. The fact that they OBJ
tanned weapons, coupled with the Ger.
tainty that, should Jones die of his
Ill ~ r1o or
charges, leads to the fear that the
men will stop at nothing to make sure
their escape.
Two Posses to Go Out.
A party of Osyka citizens was or
ganizing into posse at midnight to
take up the chase where Sheriff Quinn
and his men relinquished it. The
sheriff will head another posse. Aided
by volunteers from localities farther
south, they will cross the line of es-
cape in advance of the fugitives and
bring them to bay before they have
advanced many miles. A pitched bat
tie is probable.
The escape occurred just after the
half hundred prisoners on the farm
had been marched to their working
stations in the field. The gang of
ten men under Guard Jones was en-
ployed in a far corner of the farm,
just within sight Of the prison house.
Of the ten men who composed this
gang one only failed to escape. He
was crippled and unable to continue
long fight.
Jones, who was armed with shotgun
and revolver, was directing the laying
out Of the morning work for his Sec
ton when the five negroes. their. heads
bent towards the ground, grouped
about him. Suddenly. without any ap-
parent signal. the five rushed upon
him. An effort was made to wrest
from the guard his shotgun. In the
scuffie that ensued one of the blacks
grabbed the revolver from the hostier
at the white man'ship.
Shot With Own Gun.
One bullet was sent crashing into
(Coatinusd % Page Four.)