Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-12
White Convicts Bind and Gag
Guards, Making Clean
Getaway.
SWAP PRISON TOGS FOR
CONVICT MADE OvERALlS
Leave Signed Compact Explain
ing Reason for Drastic
Leave-T Taking.
EoRGER KISSES GUARD GooD-BY
I'ugitives Were Penltentiary Song
birds, and Sang In Prison
Choir.

After ovcrpowering and tying hand
and foot. an armed guard. an
armed n!ghtwatchman and a shop
foreman. four long-tcrm white con-
:icts. serving terms for forgery. muir
der and robbery, slid down rope
from "a fourth story window of the
State penl,entiary early last night and.
scaling thirty foot wall. made n clean
break for liberty. Al an early hour
this morning the men were still at
large. with the police of the county.
city and State completely In the dark
as to their whereabouts.
The escape was one OF the most SEN
sational and dcftly manoeuvred In the
history OF the pententiary. All evil
dcnccs point 10 IA carefully laid plan,
which. from all appearances was car
ried out exactly as it's trainers in
tended. The four convicts left behind
them n signed note. attcstinE a mutual
agreement to make break for liberty
"a the only recourse left to them TO
obtain justice.
THOSE WHO EXPECTED
REMARKABLE ESCAPE
The men who effected the cleancst
get away" in Virginia Pcnitcntiary
annals are:
II. L. Hamilton. No. 1926. twenty
four years DID, sent UP from Danviile
on two charges OF forgery. Including
extra time for q second conviction.
Hamilton had still about seven years
TO serve.
siler Atkins. No. SHE. twcnty-scven
years old. sentenced in Lee County for
second degree murder. 10 serve eigh-
teen years He had about ten more
years to serve.
Al Burton, No. 7,46o. thirty -one years
old. sentenced in Russell County In
November. 1907. for two charges OF
second degree murder. TO terms Of ten
and eighteen years. respectively. With
good behavior. his term would have
expired on March 23 1892.
r.. p. Hanly. No. lo.993, twenty eight
years old. given eight years In Nor
folk County for robbery. He had about
five years more to serve.
ALI. FOUR MEN OF MORE
THAN USUAL INTELLIGENCE
All four men were white prisoners
Of more than ordinary intelligence
ranking I'm the penitentiary world as
skilled workmen. and were employed
cutters in the shirt and overall
shops operated by contract with the
state by the Star Clothing and Manu-
featuring Company. Of Jefferson City,
Mo. Tho men possessed good voices
and sang regularly as the quartet In
the penitentiary choir
The shop in which the first act of
the escape was staged is devoted to
manufacturing purposes exclusively.
and is separated from the pententiary
proper. In which the cells and dormi-
tories are located by locked barrier
In the cutting room. on the fourth
floor of this building. arc employed
ordinarily n large force of men. The
regular forco. however. stops work at
: o'clock, and is marched back to the
pententiary proper for the night
Under q special arrangement with
the manufacturing company, 1T has
been permitted for limited period to
5perate the cutting department for
two extra hours between and Z
o'clock. The company paid the con-
victs employed during these extra hours
special wages. The arrangement was
only temporary. and was approved by
the penitentiary authorities as mutual
ly beneficial to the company and the
men employed.
FOUR MEN WE'RE GUARDED BY }. IT.
BULLOCK, OF SOUTH RICHMOND
AZ o'clock yesterday evening there
were present in the cutting room the
four convicts. who have been named,
and the armed guard. j. n. Bullock, Of
South Richmond. The men were per-
forming their tasks with accustomed
efficiency, and the guard stood by un-
concerned
According to Mr. Bullock one of the
men at about 6:15 o'clock stepped be-
hind him, ostensibly to get bolt of
cloth lying on A table to the rear. 4
moment or two later the others ap-
preached from the front, as If to assist
in the task of carrying the bolt In
another moment Bullock was seized
from behind and his arms pinned to his
sides. Simultaneously, the other three
jumped to their comrades assistance
disarming the guard and throwing him
upon the floor.
The men tied him securely with
ropes taken from the bales of cloth
used In the shop and gagged him to pre-
vent an outcry. In this helpless condi-
tion they dragged him 10 a corner OF
the room and left him to await the ar
rival OF tho watchman, who was due in
few minutes.
The night watchman, George Car
dona. an employc of the manufacturing
company. began his rounds Of the four
story shop building about o'clock
Within n few minutes after the over
towering OF Bullock he entered tho cut
ting room. on the fourth floor, only to
+ be confronted by n pistol aimed point
blank at his heart, in the hands of one