The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-01-29
CON Climbs PIPE, ESCAPING Pen;
STEALS AUTO MAKING GETAWAY
Evades Colorado Springs Police Who Block
Road; Car Belonging to ]. N. Steele is
Recovered; Criminal Still at Large.

David Minten, convict at the pen
itentiary. who was emp Dyed as
steam-ftter with the boiler house
gang, escaped from the prison at Sis
o'clock last SATURDAY afternoon, and
vas still at large at noon today.
Minten was registered at the peni-
tentiary on April /, 1919. to serve sew
eral years for RECEIVING stole goods,
and was sent here from Denver.
Minten was regarded as pretty
smooth article" ana was given no spe-
cial privileges at the pen Saturday
evening when the attention of the
guards was diverted from that portion
OF the prison grounds where he was
working, Minten placed a piece OF
iron piping against the walls of the
penitentiary, climbed to the top and
succeeded in getting outside unob-
served. The wall at that place b
about 20 feet high. 1t was not long,
however, before the discovery was
a arm Was given. Guards started at
once in pursuit OF the fleeing man.
but he had covered up his tracks so
Wei thai no trace OF him was found,
until ii was learned that he had stolen
j y. Steele's FIVE passenger Dodge car
and had driven eastward.
After notifying The police at Colo
Iado Springs and Pueblo to keep =
lookout for him. the guards hurried
on in pursuit. Believing that he was
coming i'm that direction the police
depa rtment at Colorado Springs sent
out a detachment OF men to meet him
late Saturday night They took up a
location around bend in the road
about FIVE miles from town, on this
side of which is long. straight
stretch of highway. placed their car
across the road and awaited his com
ing The night was very dark and
the officers could see only short dis
t3nce ahead of them.
number of cars We're stopped be-
fore Ninten reached the place He
was driving at rapid rate and the Of
GERS heard him whistiins with evident
satisfaction over his escape. The ear
which the police had placed across
the road was touched by "A beam OF
one of the headlights on Minten's car
and instantly he jumped out OF the
machine and took 10 the hills. without
putting ON the brakes The officers
did not see him and only knew ii was
Min,en by the identification of the
stolen car which was recovered and.
later restored TO the owner
The police emptied the contents OF
several saw-off shotcuns in the direc-
iion which it WAS supposed Miuten
had taken. but without result Blood
hounds were placed on the trail and
they started down the road back of
The car. which Minten evidently de-
sired to use as shield in case he
Nas fired at The dogs followed the
trai down the road for couple of
miles and then abandoned it. The
prison guards arrived on the scene at
this time and net was spread
throughout the Pixies Peak district.
and word was sent tn Fountain TO
spread the news in tina; direction
Minten. when he made his getaway
from the prison. was wearing a pair of
blue trousers and hed-ticking shirt.
with civilian shoes and u hat of the
same material as his shirt He had
no time to change his clothing up to
the time he left the automobile this
side Of Colorado Springs about =
o'clock. The prison guards. who made
the pursuit in an automobile. believ-
ing that Minten had gone in the direc-
tion of Cripple Greek and took that
road and lost about an hour before
they discovered their mistake and
switched to the Colorado Springs
road.
Minten was unarmed up to the time
OF his abandonment OF the ear. G=.....
figured In no shooting. although he
was shot at He is described as
professional automobile thief who has
operated in Denver, Colorado Springs
and other cities of the state and is
believed to know the roads like a
book. He has three times been a
prisoner at the pen. according to re
ports. He is 30 years OF age and
good looking, 5 feet 10 inches tall.
The authorities do not believe he will
remain afoot longer than il will be
necessary for him TO find ear. but
hope to get some trace of him before
he has opportunity to steal one, or get
q chance to change his prison garb.