Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-04-15
l8 ESCAPE JAIL IN
DASH FOR LIBERTY.
TRUSTEES, Led by Carl Hayes,
Overpower Jailor Gilbert
and Elude Pursuit.
POLICE DRAGNET is SPREAD
But None Had Been Recap
tured at Late Hour; Some
"Bad Ones" Gone.

-Four TRUSTEES at the county Jail
ovcrpowered Night Jailer AL Gilbert at
10 O'Clock last night, took the keys
and unlocked all the corridor doors
Eighteen prisoners charged with
crimes up to highway robbery, es-
capped.
Running to the elevator the prison
ers were unable to unlock the barred
steel door but with their combined
force succeeded in pulling it from the
lower hinge sufficiently to get into the
cage. They then lowered themselves
to the second floor where they left
the elevator and ran down the stair
way to the basement and thru the
courtroom of Justice John j. Slack to
the street.
Attacked by Hayes.
Jailer Gilbert was putting a prisoner
brought from the city Jail in the west
corridor when he was attacked from
the rear by Carl Hayes. trusty who
had been in the Jail several months
on a charge of highway robbery
Hayes beat and threw Gilbert to the
cement floor beat him over the face
with his fists and extricated the re-
Nolver which the jailer carried in a
holster
Maycs was joined by Riley George
Ernest Dykes and Henry Maggs, all
TRUSTEES in that section of the jail
While Hayes held the jailer at the
point of the gun the others seized the
keys from a ring which Gilbert car
ried attached to his belt, and unlocked
all the doors to the inner Corridors
The Jailer was backed into the dark"
cell used to keep desperate criminals.
Draws Gun on Lynch.
Gilbert called to Tim Lynch, a
tried trusty in the main corridor, for
assistance. Lynch had just reached
the bull pen" at the entrance to the
section of the Jail where the delivery
occurred when he was met by Hayes
According to Lynch, Hayes held the
gun which he carried at his face and
commanded him to get to the front
part of the Jail. Any attempt to use
the telephone would result in his in
stant death, Lynch was informed.
In the meantime the liberated pris-
oners were pouring out of the corri-
dor and across the bull pen" Eight
cen succeeded in crowding into the
tiny elevator OF the number who
escaped four were white men and the
remainder negroes.
One Held by Laws.
one negro, Willie Lee, was foiled
In belated attempt to escape. Lee
did not get to the main corridor in
time to catch the elevator, but en-
deavored to obtain his freedom by
siding down the elevator cable.
He got as far as the second floor
when he was met by Deputy Court
Clerk Robert Laws. Laws had been
In his office waiting for the jury to
report in the Baber case when he
heard the noise made by the escaping
prisoners leaving the elevator. Run |
nlng to the corridor he at once
grasped what was taking place.
Babcr Gun Into Case.
1t was here that the shotgun used |
by Baber in shooting two deputy
United States marshals played an i'm. |
portant part. Laws remembered that
the shotgun. which had been intro
duced as evidence during the murder
trial, was in the clerks office. Re- |
turning to the office he grabbed the |
shotgun and few shells which were |
in a desk drawer,
Laws returned to the corridor lust |
as the negro struck the top of the |
elevator. The court clerk compelled !
the prisoner to come down thru the |
elevator door and. cooking the shot
gun, marched his prisoner to the sec
ond floor and into the office of Sher- |
iff Mccullough, where that officer
was waiting for the Baber verdict. |
The shotgun was held 40 the negro's |
back all the time and. according to |
both Laws and Mccullough, he was |
several shades lighter when turned /
over to the sheriff
Thirty Prefer Jail.
About thirty prisoners who had an |
opportunity to escape refused to leave |
their cells. One of the inmates got
as far as the main corridor, when he |
turned and went back to his cell. |
Later he said that he thot the build !
ing was afire and when he found that |
CONTINUED on PAGE FOURTEEN