The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-05-25
Convict Killed, Another Wounded at
Road Camp Ncr Nnnekah; Men
Get Hour and Half Start of
Rlood-Hounds.
GUARD SHOOTS TO SAVE
LIFE OF HIS PARTNER
Second Attempt Made by Dead Man
to Escape; Chase Covers Nine
Miles Along Little Washita;
Was Alleged Stacker.

j. w. Fitz, alias Mutt" No. S91S
Is dead with a bullet through his
neck and Dave Shoemaker, alils
Chicken No. 9918, is in critical
condition with bullet through a
lung and another through an arm
as result of an attempt of the two
to escape from the convict camp
located near Ninneklh, eight miles
south of here late yesterday.
Fitz was sent up from Tulsa for
five years on a chIrge of grand lar.
ceny and Shoemaker was doing a
five year hitch on a charge of steal
ing an automobile, being sentenced
following a trial in Miami AS far
as S. J. Buckner, superintendent Of
the road gang, has been able to
learn neither hnd any relatives.
Bolt for Liberty.
Fitz and Shoemaker were mem.
Ders of a squad in charge Of
guard engaged on working piece
Of road near Ninnekah. Fitz was
water boy and had been sent after
a bucket of water. Shoemaker ac-
cording to the guard went to help
bring the water. Once out of sight
they threw the bucket AWAY and
ran. The guard sent another man
TO the bari, OF the creek to see If
the men were in sight. lie reported
that all he could see was the buck.
ct.
Immediately the guard hurried his
squad back to camp and gave the
alarm. All squads were brought in,
the prisoners checked and four
guards mounted, returned with the
blood-hounds to the point whore the
men disappeared,
Race for Nine Miles.
The dogs picked up the trail and
the chase was on. The men had full
Iy an hour and half the start OF
the dogs and guards and the coun-
try over which they shaped their
course was sandy and rolling. A
stiff wind was blowing and the dust
was rapidly filling the tracks of the
men. The chase continued along
the Little Washita, which swollen |
stre9m the men swan several times !
They back tracked did "flgute
eights" crossed trails and pulled |
every stunt possible to throw the
dogs off, but to no avail. After |
chase of nine miles, the men were
sighted in the brush.
The guards closed in on the sec
tfon of woods where the men were
in hiding, the dogs "baying" the
thickct, meanwhile. w. G. Buckner
son of the camps uperintendent,
was moving forward on Shoemaker
when Fitz raised up from the brush.
unseen by Buckner and was level
ing a SO calibro Bulldog" pistol at
the guard, when another guard. TAX
ing in the situation, fired at Fitz,
the bullet breaking the neck and
killing the man almost instantly. At
this point Shoemaker leaped from
hiding and ran. The guards yelled
at him ITO stop but he gave no heed
to the warning. Several of the
guards fired. two bullets taking eff
feet. in lung and an arm.
"Didn't Have Any Country"
According to Supt. Buckner, Fitz
and Shoemaker had Dragged to pris
{ ners and guards alike that they /
committed the crimes for which they
we're sent upAte keep from going t.
war in 1917.smMr Buekner states
that both men Thad said What d
we want to govlnd fight the Ger,
mans for? We haven't got any coun-
try to defend" This marked ahe /
second attempt that Fitz had made
t, escape He tried it once before
in Seminole county. The superin
tcndent says that both men have
done time" before,
Clint Clayton and Henry Black
wood, two Of the guards who figur
ed in the affair, are returned sol
diers. Clayton was with the S6th
divisnon while Blackwood was with
the 9Oth. Both saw much service