The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-11-01
WIFE.
KNOCKS OUT BIG
NEGROPR PRISONER
Attempted Escape at County Jail
Prevented By Mrs. Godfrey
POUNDS MAN WITH paddock
Calvin Williams of Manchester Held
for Serious Offence, Attacked
Sheriff This Forenoon.

An attempted break at the Benning-
ton county jail this forenoon was
frustrated by the courage of the jail
ors wife, Mrs. Frederick Godfrey
who, when her husband was assaulted
by hurley negro, rushed to her hus-
bands assistance and knocked out
the prisoner with repeated blows on
the head with heavy paddock.
The sheriffs assailant is Calvin VIII
liams who is being held for the grand
jury on the charge of rape. He was
brought to the Jail early in the month
from Manchester where the alleged
offence was committed
Between II and u o'clock this fore
noon Sheriff Godfrey opened the steel
grated door leading from the ante
room into the Jail corridor AS the
sheriff swung back the door he was
assaulted by the negro VINO threw his
arms about the officer and attempted
to throw his keeper to the floor. Al
though over 20 years of age, the sher-
iff grappled with his assailant in the
meantime sending out a loud call for
help.
Mrs. Godfrey at the time was in the
kitchen at the further end of the
jailor's apartments. When she ar
rived on the scene the negro had
failed to break away from the sheriff
and the two were wrestling about the
ante room. Selling one Of the heavy
padlocks, weighing between two and
three pounds and with which the jail
corridor is closed, she threw her left
arm about the negro and began pound
ing the black mans head with the big
lump of metal Once during the strug-
gle she dropped the paddock to the
floor The negro struggled to reach
the weapon but the plucky woman
kicked il away from his grasp and re-
gained possession. Then she again
began raining blows with renewed
force upon the kinky-haired Uranium.
The negro fought viciously and the
woman added more power to her right
arm. Realizing that the struggle
could not continue indefinitely, Mrs.
Godfrey struck the negro with all her
force and he dropped like log to
the corridor floor.
Some of the blows which the negro
received cut his scalp and when the
struggle was over Mrs. Godfrey's
waist was saturated with so much
blood that it was at first believed she
had been injured She did not re-
ceive scratch, however, and after a
change of clothing appeared to be
none the worse for the encounter.
The big paddock has been the only
weapon carried by Mrs. Godfrey when
entering the corrodor and cells of the
Jail Whenever she has unlocked the
door she has carried the lock with her
but this is the first time she has had
occasion to use it, When the sheriff
has occasion TO enter the Jail he has
always removed the lock and placed
it on a radiator pipe near the door.
She therefore knew just where to find
1t when she heard the sheriff's call
for help.
Williams had been acting in a sur
ley manner for several days. When
ever the corridor door has been
opened he has approached and has
kept up a continued muttering con-
cerning his confinement He is large
man, probably weighing more than $50
pounds and about 30 years of age.
Previous to being arrested he had
been employed on one of the lumber
Jobs at Manchester.