, 1921-05-18
FORCES WARDEN
TO OPEN PRISON
DOOR ON THREAT
TO KILL DOCTOR
Physician Kidnapped by
Escaping Prisoner Is
Forced to Drive Car
And Dodge Bullets

MA L1NS, Wyo., May IL,
-Al Biscardo, IS years .oi
age, serving an eight-ycaI
term for highway robbery
escaped from the Wyomins
penitentiary here and wher
cornered after a spectacular is-mil,
automobile rae shot himself through
the head. dying instantly. The STORY
OF his escape and the subsequent pur
suit Is more suggestive OF a scenario
writer's hectic imagination than Of Q
reporters narration of cold facts.
Biscardo scveraA days ago became
III. or pretended to be III. and was
admitted TO tho pc~nitentiary ..-sirrary
There his wife was permitted to
visit him and she assumably smuggled
a revolver to him.
DR.. Raymond Barber. prison physi-
clan, entered the infirmnry, accolnpa-
MED by a friend. II c. Mayor. county
clerk OF Carbon county. and the pair
were held up by Biscardo with the re
volver. The convict forced Barber 10
swap" clothes and threatened to kill
the physician unless the latter con
trived to get him out OF the prison.
Barber explained that what was asked
would be impossible without the con.
nivance OF Tho prison guards St-.
cardo responded that n the doctor val.
ucd his life he would arrange with the
guards-that otherwise he might pre-
pare to be shot forthwith.
with Biscardo.s consent. Barber
communicated with Warden F. A.
Hadsell. who came TO the grated door
of the hospital ward and attempted 70
rcason with she convict. explaining
the fulfill: OF iuii plan to escape Bis
cardo insisted. rsvsever. that he would
kill BARBER II tile guards were not
with iraw am Hadseli. fearing the
convict would carry out his homicidAl
threat. ngreed 10 give Biscardo a
chance To- cscape,
IN make ySu a proposition" said
HadseIi. "I1f let you. Barber and Ma.
gor get into BARRIERS automobile at the
door OF the pen and give you three
blocks start. All l ask is that you do
not harm Barber or Mayor.
BARRIERS machine was driven to the
door of the infirmary. the gates were
left open and he and his hostages
were not interfcred with in leaving.
Eisraio made Barber take the wheel
OF che chr. rot In himself. compelled
M:.'scrs III follow and the party drove
Oh: o. the yard with the convict be-
,wr-u lis two hostages.
,tsaawih,c Sheriff Saunders with an
>"tnsa ussse also several cars armed
~ volunteers arrived. They stood
t. WIRE the Barber car rolled PAST
~ ! IS, '.t Tor Casper. Fearing that
=, i,..siifion might cause deaths of
~ u -t-,wa. they followed at a re-
81 u,frui distance. not attempting to
"~vcr,uf-e the fleeing a but merely
kept 1t IN sight.
lEarbcr. driving as directed by Bis
cardo aud with the convicts gun
pressed against his side In emphasis of
a threat TO KIN him unless he made
tho best time of which his machine
was capable. headed eastward. A mile
and n half out OF town Biscardo COM
PEELED Mayor TO leap from the rurtling
car. He did so. turned several somer
sauits and brought up in h sage
brush, stunned but virtually unin-
jured. Hadsell did not permit Ma
gor's spectacular descent to divert him
but went by the sprawling man at
SO miles an hour.
For 10 miles the chase Coituiuen
over a rutty road. the. pursued and
pursuing cars careening crafty but
never siackening speed. Then BARRIERS
engine became overheated and he was
compelled to stop. Biscardo. sus-
pecting a ruse. appeared inclined TO
kill the physician and h latter
jumped to the ground. When Barber
leaped Biscardo fired three Intellectual
shots at him and scuttled into a near
by draw. Hardly had his feet touched
the ground when Hadsell brought his
car. the brakelining smoking from fric-
ton. to a skidding step and he and
Keiffcr leaped to the ground. guns in
hand. Biscardo. however. already was
ducking in and out among the sage
brush of the draw and the officers
could not obtain a fair shot at him
They pursued and within a short dis
lance had the fugitive cornered. Then,
his plans shattered and only the
dreary prospect of a prolonged term
in prison, before him. Biscardo placed
the muzzie of his revolver to his sid
and pulled the trigged. He then o
himself in the hs1d and was dead
IL