New-York tribune., 1920-10-18
COnvicts Elude
Posse, Slug and
Rob in Flight
Sing Sing Prisoners Get Gas.
oline, Money, Food and
Clothes at Pistol Point
in Race Over Two States
Citizen Army Joins Hunt
Pair Believed Back Near
Prison in Effort to Throw
Pursuers Off the Trail

George Walter Stivers AMI Marcus
Bassett, the convicts who escaped
from Sing Sing Saturday night after
assaulting three guards. were pur-
sued yesterday more than 25O miles
through two states by the police Of
New York and Connecticut. Last
night they had circled back IN an eff
fort to lose their pursuers and we're
believed to be within sixty miles of
the prison.
After the general alarm sent out
after the prisoners had got away,
posses of citizens were organized to
assist the state troopers and the Of
tcers of the towns through which the
chase led.
Early yesterday reports of robberies
and assaults on garage keepers be-
gan to come in, and through these the
trail of the convicts was picked up.
The stolen car in which they fed from
the prison walls was exchanged for
another on the road, and throughout
the day the men got gasoline for the
machine and cash and clothing at the
point of the pistols they had taken
when they knocked out two of the
guards at Sing Sing.
Stivers Sentenced for Murder
Stivers was doing life term for the
murder of policeman. His record in
cludes burglary and white slavery Bas-
sett, the police say, had only one more
month to serve to complete his SEN
tence.
Details Of the escape over the walls
Of the prison were given out at Sing
Sing last night.
Shortly before midnight the two men,
who were employed as TRUSTEES, sue
ceeded in escaping the vigilance of
armed sentries. and, protected by rain
to a key room building adjoining the
wardens cottage. On the far side of
the death house more guards sat.
Entering the dimly lighted corridors,
they saw Willard Webster, veteran
guard, leaning against a wall. Creep
ing up behind him. Stivers dealt him
a crushing blow on the head with a
piece of lead pipe. Webster crumpled
up and sank to the floor just as Peter
Cogler, another guard, entered the
room.
Drop OUTSIDE the walls
A second later he, too, lay bleeding
on the stone flats from an ugly cut on
the forehead inflicted by Stivers with
? sand-filled stocking.
Selling an exit key which admitted
them to the warden's basement, both
men made their way to the door and
tried to enter. Louis Cummings, an
inmate chef, however, heard their ap-
proach and attempted to block their
passage. Fearful lest an alarm be given
and realizing their only escape that
way lay through the bedrooms of War
don Lawes's two daughters, poth men
retraced their steps and gained the
laundry building. Here they pred
open window and dropped to the
lawn outside the walls.
AS they hurried to the roadway a
third guard, Bernard Simmons, ap-
preached. Seeing them he raised his
rife to fire, but was stopped by blow
in the face. A second blow, welded
by a lead pipe in the hands of Bassett,
knocked him insensible. The men
stripped him of uniform, rifle, auto
matte pistol and 500 in cash.
AS they started forward again they
encountered Keeper Corliss, a road pa
trolman. Before he could sound an
alarm or stop them he too was knocked d
unconscious with rifle butt. From
him they obtained second revolver
and more cash They ran in the di-
rection Of Ossining Village. where they
stole a touring car owned by George
Vail.
Prison Bell Is Sounded
Twenty minutes later the great
prison bell, which can be heard for ten
CONTINUED on pace ejuhtoen)