Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1915-04-02
NOTED PRISON GuAnD nrnE
r. ,. Ritchic of the rcnitcntiary,
Who KILLED rhrc Escaping Muir
dcring Convicts u Year Ago, Tells
The News of the Affair

r. J. Ritchic. former prison guard
at the state penltcntlary, and one OF
the most noted criminal catchers IN
the south. was here Friday In com
pany with Al Ray OF Caddo and paid
the News a pleasant call, and during
his visit Mir Rltcaie rcclted the har
rowing details OF the delivery and
the wholesale killings that took place
at the penitontiary on January 10,
1914.
Mr. Ritchlo was what Is known as
the dog man" lie had charge OF a
pack Of Cuban blood hounds that are
used TO track and capture escaped /
prisoners. on the day of the delivery /
when Pat Oates. deputy warden. was
shot to death. az Ncll as another
guard. and when Parole Clerk Rice |
aud the lady stcRographer were both
wounded. Ritchio saved the day by
shooting TO death three OF the most
desperate Of the escaping couvicts.
as they dashed madly away In stol-
en- buggy.
To quote MIR Ritchie's story Of the
affair; II was out on the road In
the timber, when heard the shoot
ing at the pen and knew that some
thing was doing. Directly saw
horse and buggy fun OF people dash
ing madly in my direction and | rec
ognized in the buggy, three OF the
most noted bad men in the pen.
Reed, Lane. and Koontz. Seated on
the lap 90 Kontz and driving was
Parole Clerk Rice and could see
that he was being held with a gun
stuck in his ribs to push him onward
On the lap OF Reed was the girl. who
was screaming Rt the top of her voice
and praying. dismounted my horse
and waited. | was kind OF behind a
large rock that stood at the edge of
the road. and when the oncomiug
murderers caught sight OF me they
commenced shooting and yelled get
out OF the way you g----," ,"
time after time.
II feared to try to shoot for fear
OF getting Rice and the girl. but made
up my mind that | had IL to do. and
had with me a Winchester that |
was used TO. one OF the large calibre
Directly Lane. who was sitting be-
hind and between Reed and Koontz.
reached out to shoot me when sent
a bullet through his breast and he
toppled over against koontz. Koontz
then reached around Rice whom he
was holding In front Of him for pro-
hitting him In the breant and knock
ing him out OF the buggy, and just
missing Rice's neck. They were now
close up TO me and Reed, the sur
lviving convict had the girl on his
lap and was peering out at me from
under her right arm. so | could bare.
ly see his nose and eyes. The girl pei
ceiyed that | was going TO take a
chance and leaned to the left as
shot shot between her arm and
side and struck Reed squarely in IN,
face. splattering out his brain
found that the girl had been shot II
the thigh and was hysterlcal from
fright and weak from loss Of blood
but was not otherwise badly hurt
and she recovered alright"
When the reporter asked how n
+ would have felt had ne missed tn
convict and killed the girl. Rltchi
laughed and said, "In tight liz
that II would not have done TO mis-
a shot simply had to kill thos
q murderers, and did It,"
When asked why he was not con
D nected with the penitentiary Nj
Ritchle answered that Warden Die
e. had fired him. When asked for th
% reason of his being fired he said tina
a trusted convict had escaped las
j week and he was unable TO catch hin