The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-03-18
FOUR CONS MAKE SENSATIONAL
BREAK FOR LIBERTY, But LEADEN
HAIL STOPT THEIR PROGRESS QUICK
Guards On High Towers on HOgback Shoot
to Kill Four Desperate Characters Who
We're Members of Quarry Gang.

Great excitement was caused at the
penitentiary at 3:45 O'Clock Thursday
afternoon when report was made to
the officers there that four prisoners,
all TRUSTEES" had made an attempt to
escape from the sandstone quarry
gang. which was at work at the foot
OF the Hogback fye or six hundred
yards north of the prison walls. The
excitement was allayed somewhat
when 1t was learned that all four of
the men had been captured and were
being corraled until prison detail
could be sent to take them back for
Imprisonment
The men making the break for lib
erty were Arthur Montague. No. 1919.
sent here June /. 1916. from Denver
to serve from fifteen to twenty years
for rape; r. l.. Littge. No. l0.554. no
torious bank robber. sent here Aug
sth from Delta county to serve from
four to six years. Donald Mcpherson
No. 1919, sent here from Montrose
county July 3rd to serve from one
and a half to four years for larceny OF
livestock. and Earl Lewis, No. lo.43o.
sent here from Pueblo under sentence
OF from seven TO ten years for rob
berry
About half an hour before the time
for the prison bell to ring summoniug
the men To come in from their days
work these four men made a run In
the direction of town. much TO the
surprise OF their overseer. He called
upon them to halt. but they refused
to do so and the guards stationed in
the boxes on the side of the Hogback
began firing at them with their 3o-2o
Winchester rifles At FIRST the shoot
ing was more for the purpose of in
timidating the fleeing men than any
thing else. but as they did not stop
they were fred at To kill The bui.
and Lewis tsrey up his hands IN token
OF surrender and walked back to give
himself up. Montague. Littge and Mo
Pherson. however. kept on running.
but dropped down every few steps TO
avoid the Ieaden shower that was fall.
ing about them.
The fusilade continued for several
minutes until Biily Sampson. horse
guard stationed IN tile neighborhood,
could be informed OF what was TAX.
ing place. when b. gnllopod around
tho escaping prisoners aud headed
them of. Sampson wag armed with
repeating rifle and q is largely due to
that fact that the tiiEht OF the men
was brot to a stop.
After he had punched them together
and forced them to throw up their
hands other guards hurried TO his as
sistance and they were again made
prisoners In the meantime a mes
senssr had been dispatched to the
prison for detail to take charge Of
the captured men and Billy Green with
several men hurried to the scene. They
took the prisoners into custody aud
escorted them back to the penitenti
ary where they were safely locked up
II is proabie that they will be kept
under lock and key until they have
had time to duly reflect on their cpl
sode.
Montague was the leader IN the
break and without him Il is not be-
Heyed that the others would have
tried to get away Montague was o
notorious character in Denver before
his conviction for rape and II is not
likely that he will hereafter receive
!. much consideration from the prison
J officials.
A number OF residents of the north
part OF town armed themselves with
rifles. sho.guns and other weapons
when they learned of the attempted
get away Thursday afternoon and
Joined in the round up Of the escaping
men.