The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-12-30
Twelve CONVIC[S
MAKE IHEIS tSCAPt
Afraid of Strike in Pardon Mil, Saw
Hole in Floor at Tucker Farm and
Get Away-Standridge One
of the Number.

Little Rock, Dec. 27.-Twelve con-
victs, among them the most notorious
criminals in the state penitenti Try,
erawled thru hole in a stockade
floor and escaped from the prison
farm at Tucker, Jefferson county,
early last night. All prisoners
dropped thru the hole to the ground
and got away within 10 minutes. Two
Of them were recaptured four miles
from the farm within the first two
hours, and prison officers on horses
with dogs trailing the fugitives, ex-
pected to round up several more be-
fore daylight Monday morning.
Standridge Leader.
Yates Standridge, the most notori-
Gus of the escaped men and believed
to be leader of the plot, has figured
in the states criminal annals for
more than 10 years, during which
time he has escaped six times from
the state farm. He was brought
back to the farm the last time in
August, 1919, after gun duel with
officers near Oklahoma City.
Inc Two men lCCdpiuIcQ were
George Eagan, convicted in Crawford
county and given two years for bur-
glary, and Leslie Chambers, convicted
of burglary in Washington county
and sentenced to serve eight years.
They were caught four>miles from the
farm by j. K. Munson, prison officer.
Guard Discovers Delivery.
News of the escape was broken on
the heels of the fugitives by a chance
remark overheard by one of the
guards patrolling outside the stock
ade He heard one of the convicts
say to another one that something
is going wrong here"
The guard investigated and soon
found there was great deal gone
wrong" He found that by means of
ii brace and bit and saw struggled
into the stockade a hole 1S inches
square had been cut in the floor, with
in 10 minutes, under one of the cots,
thru which II men had just squeezed
their way to liberty The guard saw
the last of the IL scurrying across the
yard soon after he made his discov-
cry.
Sitting around the stockade on cots
and stools were 81 convicts laughing
and talking in a loud tone of voice
with the evident purpose of conceal
ing the plot from the penitentiary Of
fcers.
The guard gave the alarm and the
dogs were put on the trail. Men on
horseback then began securing the
woods. Commissioner Coker declared
last night over long-distance tele-
phone that he believes all the fugi-
mil ka
hours. He said the bayous are filled
with water due to the recent rains,
and the convicts will have difficulty in
getting out of the country.
Notorious Criminals.
The list of escapes includes several
81 the most daring criminals in Ar
kansas, Yates Standridge, Noah Bas-
ham, Leroy Abeles, Oscar Scott and
w. R. Grimm.
Standridge's record is well known
to police officials of the state. He has
the reputation of being bad man."
with several killings charged against
him. His criminal career began Octo-
Der g., 1908, when the penitentiary
gates first closed behind him for the
first time. He was given eight years
IN Newton county after he had shot
INTO house and killed a woman fol-
lowing a controversy with his wife.
Other escapes and killings later
brought Standridge's term in the pen
up to 81 years. While at work with
a convict gang on a railroad he slew
feiiow-convict with shovel. Later
in his career he escaped from a hoy
car on the M. and N. A. with six
other prisoners and roamed the hills
of Newton county unmolested. County
officers seemed to be content to let
him alone.
Standridge showed evidence of re-
form later in his career and on Dec.
Y, 1917 his term was reduced to rs
years. He showed his appreciation
oy escaping from the farm again on
May l6, 1918. He was recaptured
August IL, 1919, after a pistol duel
with officers few miles from Okla
homa City. He emptied his pistol at
the pursuing posse and then surrend
cred.