Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-12-09

held up this guard and another
standing nearby, took their pis-
tolls and then forced them to 90
ahead of him to the stockade
where their presence admitted
them and permitted him to over
power the one guard on duty
there. Slaughter then opened the
cells and offered all the prisoners
liberty. Only six took advantage
Of the offer and two OF the guards
were locked up.
Locks Warden in Cell.
He next took one guard to the
office Of the penitentiary with
him and took possession Of 1t,
turning the guards on duty there
over to the men who elected to
escape with him. Next he went
to the hospital and forced a nurse
to precede him outside the walls 10
the apartments occupied by War
den e. H. Dempsey and his FAM
lily. The nurse awakened them
and Slaughter then forced them
to accompany him to the death
cell, where they were locked up.
He told them he would not harm
them and later brought them pot
of coffee with cream, sugar end
cups.
Slaughter then threw the gates
OF the penitentiary wide open and
leisurely set about outfitting him
self and companions with civilian
clothes from the commissary.
At $3.50 a. m. Warden Dempsey
said he heard an automobile leav,
ing and with the aid IL prisoner(
above, who cut hole through the
floor at his direction he escaped
from the death cell and spread the
alarm.
Slaughter's Record Black.
Slaughter had taken an auto
mobile belonging to Mrs. Demp-
sey.
Slaughter is 26 years old. He
told an Associated Press corre-
spondent at the time of his first
Incarceration in the penitentiary
here that he was reared in south
ern Arkansas, and when IA years
old was convicted Of a charge Of
grand larceny and sent to the re-
form school, He served his term,
and then drifted into Oklahoma.
Since that time he was partici-
pated in numerous bank robberies
in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas.
Missouri and elsewhere. He es-
capped twice from the Texas peni-
tentiary his term In Texas was
unexpireed when he willed Dep.
uty Sheriff Brown in Hot Springs
little over year ago.
Slaughter denied killing
charged to him In Pennsylvania,
but admitted that he had taken
part in many robberies. s.
Killed One Guard.
The desperado, who had been
considered the most dangerous in
the Arkansas penal institution,
made an unsuccessful but spectac-
ular attempt to escape from the
prison farm at Tucker when he
killed the trusty guard in Septem-
Der. Slaughter had obtained a
rifle from the outside and on Sum
day morning when the men were
gathered in the bath house, he
opened fire on the guards outside.
He killed Bliss Adkisson, a trusty
guard, serving sentence for MUIR
der committed when a posse raided
a band of draft evaders of whom
Adkisson was one. He also
wounded other guards. He final
ly was forced to surrender when a
guard III hiding took him un-
awares.
Said He Would Escape.
He often has boasted that he
would never go to the electric
chair. At Hot Springs he and his
cell were searched daily for wea-
pons. After jury returned a
verdict of life Imprisonment he
turned over to the guards. who in
cluded a company Of national
guardsmen, a handful of hack
saws, remarking that II the SEN
tence had been death he never
would have stayed in jail over
night.
The state guard was called out
on another occasion Just about a
year ago to guard the penitentiary
here when plot which he had in
stigated for a wholesale delivery
Of prisoners was uncovered.