The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-18
$50 ARMED MEN
HUNT CONVICTS
Two Escaped Fclons Steal Au-
tomoblles and Rob Tourists
of Cash and Clothes.
GET GAS AT PISTOL POINT
Sing Sing Warden's Wife and
Daughters Saved From Peril
by Prison Chef.

by Prison Chef.
Seven posses, numbering $50 armed
men, were searching last night near
the Connecticut and Massachusetts,
State lines for George Stivers and
Martin Bassett, convicts who escaped
Saturday night from Sing Sing Prison
after overpowering Keepers Willard
Webster, Peter Cogler and Bernard
Simmons and stealing an automobile.
Prison officials said last night that
they expected to catch the fugitlves
before morning. as the entire country
side within 200 miles radius Of Sing
Sing had been notified of their escape,
and the police force Of every town and
city In New York was on the lookout
for them
Stivers and Bassett, both of whom
are regarded by prison officials as
desperate men. have been speeding
around the section bordering the Con-
necticut State line having a merry and
an exciting time of It. terrorizing small
villages. holding up automobile parties
and apparently stealing everything
portable that they can lay their hands
upon.
If the reports of their presence in
various districts are true. the two men
must have covered more than 600 niles
since their escape. Several times they
have abandoned automobiles they stole
fo afa thn,r No "a
compelled garage proprietors at the
points of revolvers to fill tho tanks with
gasoline; they have held up automo-
bilists and taken hats and clothing
They have been zgzagging across the
state border In an effort to throw their
pursuers off the trail. but the number
OF men after them is so great that It
is not believed that they will succeed.
Cut the BertflIon Wires.
Additional details OF their escape
were disclosed last night, indicating
that the two men had made their plans
thoroughly and that they had carried
them through to the last detail. except
possibly In the matter of armament.
One Of the unusual things that they
did was TO cut the electric wires in the
flcer for Sing Sing. IN order TO delay
him In getting out photographs and
measurements Of them to send to po-
lice department and county authorities
all over the State. BY so doing they
delayed Powers several hours. and IL
was not until late yesterday that ac-
curate descriptions of the escaped con-
victs were received in many OF the out
lying towns and cities.
The escape OF Stivers and Bassett
was one OF the most daring in the his
tory Of Sing Sing Both men were trus-
ties. and as such had access to the key
room. which is inclosed between the
double set of steel gates that lead from
the foot OF the front office stairs inside
the walls OF the prison. II was to this
room that Stivers and Bassett went on
''rday night, one OF them CARRYING
concealed in his sleeve a sandbag made
OF an old stocking stuffed with sand.
They were in an anteroom Off the kew
room. where all the prison keys are
kept. when Keeper Webster entered 10
check up the keys for the night. stivers
and Bassctt hit him over the head with
their sandbag and he dropped uncon-
scious to the moor.
The ccnvicts remained silent, ana a
few minutes later Cogler entered the
keyroon to get n drink of water. He
also was slugged and left living on the
floor The convicts took Webster.s re-
volver and entered the keyroom. from
where they could see Keeper simmons OIL
guard between the double set OF steel
gates. lie was the only man then that
stood between them and tho outs,de.
They sandbagyed him and ran through
a door that leads into the basement OF
the Wardcn's residence.
wnrden's Family I'm Danger.
Louis Cummings. a convict. who is
chef for the Warden. was In the base
inent when he heard the two men trying
% forr~ the cellar ioors q go, ,,st.fr,
where Mrs. Lewis r.. I.awes. wife Of the
Warden. and her two daughters. Kath-
lecn and Crystal were az dinner.
Cummings balcvcd that the cor ylcts
wanted 20 get at the three women and
he bracod his back against the door 10
keep them from forcing IT, They threat
ened to shoot through the panels. bu,
CUMMINGS held firm. Finally the con- :
victs abandoned the Goor. forced another I
ioor leading into the laundry and with /
heir revolver smashed n screen on n
window and climbed onto the lawn out
ridc the walls cf the prison.
At this time when they started run /
ning Up the hill toward Ossining stivers /
-arried rifle which he had stolen from
The key room. aud l3aasett arricd Web
sters revolver The couvicts ala not
know H. but the rifle was unloaded. "A
'act which atcr saved their llvcs.
The two fncn had not gone fifty yards
5eforc they encountered Keeper Coriiss,
Tho had stood guard outside the walls
while webster went insile to make tho
sey count Corliss .was unarmed. but
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