Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1918-10-04
EXCITING MAN
HUNT SUNDAY
Baxter Posse Capture Two
Men Who Broke Out of
City Jail

Breaking Jail by two men, held on
suspicion Of being bad characters, fol-
lowed by a chase for the two In which
fully fifty men took part, frequently
discharging firearms and finally cap
turing the fugitives. altogether pro-
duced an unusual amount Of excite
ment in the town Sunday morning be-
tween IL o'clock and noon.
The Jail breakers were o. B. Gar
ner and Charley Martin, the two men
who were mentioned in the Daily Cit
izen Saturday as having been caught
In the house Of Mrs. Maude Jones by
her son, Ted Mason.
Shortly after their release Saturday
morning Constable Turner again ar
rested the two men just as they were
about to board an electric car bound
for Joplin.
They were arrested on O warrant
sworn out by Ted Mason charging
them with sneak thievery. Before
Judge English they entered Q plea Of
not guilty and were bound over till
next Friday for their hearing.
II was while the constable was away
from the Jail for a few minutes Sum
day morning that they got out by
pounding out a piece Of the brick
wall.
A woman, whom Garner claims rs
his wife, is also connected with the
affair. She was here Saturday but
inasmuch as she had no part in en-
tering the Jones home she was not
held. After the men were placed In
jail she went to Joplin.
Sunday night, after the attempt to
escape by the men the woman came
back from Joplin and went 10 the jail,
where she was arrested and lodged In
q cell.
The trio are evidently bad charact-
ers. They are also dope fiends. When
arrested Saturday their grips were
taken and inspected. The contents I'm
cluded articles of decidedly incrim-
mating nature. There were about 30
keys and q number Of burglar tools,
considerable gold taken from dental
offices, evidently where they had been
in search for dope, some war savings
stamps amounting to $500 in $500
stamps and $500 in 25c stamps. Tho
name on the stamp card had been
torn of. Also guns and other ar
ticles such as hosiery from VOLTS In
Kansas City and things apparently
got in Tulsa. It was the suspicious
nature of the contents Of the grips
that convinced Constable Turner that
the three are crooks and perhaps
dangerous ones. They are smooth ap-
pearing people, between twenty and
thirty years old and pretty well dress
ed.
A good many amusing stories are
being told today about the chase Sum
day morning. Gene Turner and Mon
roe Horton, Baxter sleuths, led the
posse, automatics in hand; then close
" followed Bill Wyatt with John
Hartley's shot gun. When Bill shot
the gun it kicked him about seven
rods. Bill says the gun was rusty In
the barrel, that about pint Of rust
powder rolled out ahead Of the charge.
One man, a barber, had q revolver
and came near winging everybody but
the escaping men. He would fall
down every few steps and every time
he fell the gun would 60 of and the
bullet would play around between the
feet Of the men in the posse. Ted
Mason carried a big stick and some
carried rocks.
The fugitives, after breaking out OF
Jail, ran south about ten blocks out IN
the open and then struck out west and
were headed of when Bill Wyatt took
bunch Of men west on the Pitcher
road in his car. The men were sur
rounded and taken in q field near the
new mill on r. F. Hartlsy's place.