Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-12-30
ASSAULT ANDROB
0CCOQUAN GUARD
Six Members of Penal Colony
viciousIy Attack Lewis Roper,
Severely Iniuring Him.
ALL ESCAPE; FOUR RETAKEN

| Six members OF the penal colony at
OccoQuan, Va. three white and three
colored, yesterday afternoon made
sudden attack upon Lewis Roper. a
guard, struck him on the head with
the handle of a grubbing hoe and frac-
tured his skull. one OF them relieved
him of his watch. another took his
sweater and a third member Of the
party took his service revolver Leav-
ing the guard unconscious. the prison.
ers hastily left the grounds of the in
stitution and disappeared
| Guard Roper. in an apparently dying
condition, was hurried to this city and
taken to George Washington University
Hospital. where DIR. Charles Stanley
White performed an operation. Tho
| pressure on the brain was relieved. and
| DR.. White this morning was able to
hold out hope for his recovery.
Men Were Shackled.
Prisoners who composed the attack
| ing party were working in chains. Some
of them had previous records of escape
and others had been given dement's.
which made 1t advisable for Supt. Whit
taker to work them in irons. The trio
of white prisoners were Harlan Palmer.
| nineteen years old. Winchester, Va.
serving a term for housebreaking; Ray
mond w. Swartzbaugh. twenty years
old, a soldier. forgery. anu Henry
Smith. twenty years. who has relatives
| near LIST and streets.
| The colored members of the party
! were Mckinley Ford. twenty years.
1 1926 4th street: Ralph Bell. twenty-five
years, whose father resides at Purcell
vile, Va. and Landlord McHenry. whose
father lives in Northeast Washington.
Smith and Bell were the only ones at
4 lnv r11nr
| The attack on the guard was made
| about 2:3O o'clock in the afternoon. The
six prisoners were working about 200
yards from the administration build
| ing, and Roper, an experienced guard.
| who formerly was employed in the fed
| eral prison at Atlanta. was seated on
| the stump of a tree keeping guard over
| them.
Il want a piece of leather" said one OF
| the white prisoners. approaching the
guard Before the latter could get the
| leather. it is stated. Harlan Palmer struck
| him a blow on the head with such force
| that Roper fell unconscious and helpless
| There was no other person in sight who
| was willing to give an alarm, 1t IS
stated, and the men found II an easy
matter to deprive Roper of his sweater.
watch and weapon.
Pursuit Quickly Begun.
The six men. quickly made their way
from the scene Of the assault and started
| in the direction of this city. Guards and
others who went in pursuit Of them with
| bloodhounds soon lost trace of them in
the woods Supt. Whitaker and Ralph
| Whitaker his son and assistant. went
| in one direction, while other members
of the searching parties went in other
| directions.
| chief clerk, learned that four of the
| party had visited the house of a colored
| man four miles from the prison and
asked for food and permission to warm
granted their request He noticed that
| the men wore prison clothing, and soon
after they left his house he got in com
| munication with Chief Clerk Hall and
| by Arthur Pettitt. w. A. Goodwin.
James Ogden and J. w. Anderson. hur-
| ried to the vicinity of the colored mans
home and soon thereafter surrounded
| the fugitives in a vacant house.
The men surrendered without show
| ing fight. One was wearing the wound
| ed guards sweater and another was
armed with his revolver. They had re-
| moved the shackles from their legs.
The articles were surrendered to Chief
! Clerk Hall. whose quick movements
| probably prevented an attack.
Palmer Admits Attack on Roper.
Harlan Palmer, the Winchester youth.
admitted having attacked Roper,
it is stated. and II is more than prob
able that he will have to answer for
the assault in the courts of Virginia.
Others denied having assaulted the
guard, but the taking of the pistol
and sweater may mean that additional
charges will be preferred against them.
Palmer escaped from the institution
on a prior occasion. 1t is said that he
was to have been paroled. but that his
breach in making the first escape
served to keep him in prison. Swartz-
baugh and a companion escaped from
the prison several weeks ago. took an
automobile belonging to one of the
guards and made their way to Scran-
ton, Pa, where they were recaptured
and returned
Search for Bell and Sn 18th was con-
tinued throughout the night, but II
was said this morning that members
of the searching party had obtained
no clue to their whereabouts. 1t was
said at the institution this morning
that there is no law furnishing menu
bers of the penal colony for escaping.
In many states, it is stated, jail break
ing is an offense punishable by long
terms of Imprisonment, and I was
suggested that the enactment of such
a law governing prisoners at Occoquan
might reduce the trouble caused by