The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1921-12-15
ESCAPED CONVICT
SHOT TO DEATH
Tom Slaughter, Who Fled From
Arkansas Prison, Slain by
Fellow Prisoner.
WAS CONDEMNED TO DEATH
ovsrpowersd Guard and Ruled Psni-
Tertiary Before Flight Into Woods
Negro Wounded by Posse Dying
Others Are Captured.

Little Rock, Ark. Dec. l2.-Tom
Slaughter, twenty six, came TO the end
Of his long and sensational career of
crime In the Jungle fastness Of the
Saline county hills
He was shot from behind by one Of
the white men whom he led to lib
erty from the state penitentiary here.
The report Of Slaughter's death was
confirmed by Sheriff J. J. Grow Of Sa-
line county. leader Of one Of the posses
on the Killers trail.
Not only Is Slaughter dead, but one
OF the five negroes who fled prison
with him In the spectacular escape, is
dying beside the bandits body, while
the white companion who shot him
down from behind and the three other
negroes are I'm custody.
Slayer Planned Double Cross.
The man who killed Slaughter Is J.
G. Howard. who was serving three
year term for forgery. Howard, ac-
cording to statement he made at
the Benton jan. had been waiting to
turn on Slaughter.
II left him with the intention Of
killing HIN the first chance I got"
he Il quoted as saying.
Slaughter was shot twice through
the head and once through the body.
The dying negro received his wound
at Benton. an hour after the flight be-
gan, during a battle between four off,
GERS and the fleeing bandits.
How Slaughter Escaped.
Slaughter. considered as one Of the
most daring man killers and bank rob-
hers In the history of the Southwest.
directed spectacular escape In the
early morning hours from the Arkan.
sas state prison, which he ruled like
"czar" for Ave hours.
He summoned guard, feigning ill.,
ness. and when orered an extra blan-
ket. to warm him In his death cell he
covered the guard with gun. dis
armed him. then canvassed the prison,
disarming and jsiling the guards as
he met them
The desperate, who was wanted In
Oklahoma. Texas. Missouri, Kentucky
ahh llftu tb'htu tut
warden and his family In his own
death cell. opened the gates and doors
Of the prison. offered freedom to all
prisoners, and after five hours es-
capped In an automobile at 2 30 In the
morning.
Frees Other convicts.
Slaughter's companions In flight In
ciuded six convicts. four OF whom were
negroes under sentence Of death
After freeing the other convlcts he
took one of the guards To the Office
and took possession OF IT,
Next lie went to the hospital and
forced n trained nurse To precede him
To the apartments just outside the
walls occupied by Warden Dempsey
and his family. The nurse awakened
them, and Slaughter forced them to
accompany him TO the death cell.
where they were locked up.
Prisoners Free Warden.
lie told them b. would not harm
them. and later. showing a peculiar
trait Of character, brought them pot
OF coffee with cream. sugar and cups.
Slaughter then threw the gates OF
the penltentlary vile open and leisure
~ set about QUILTING himself and
companions with civilian clothes from
the commissary.
At 2:30 o'clock Warden Dempsey
said he heard car move out from the
penltentlary, and. with the aid OF pris-
oners above, who cut hole through
the floor at his direction. he escaped
from the death cell and spread the
alarm.
To make his escape Slaughter took
an automobile belonging to Mr.. Demp-
sey and stripped all the tires from a
Ford roadster belonging to Edward
Dempsey. son OF the warden. presum-
ably Ia guard against tire trouble.
Began Crime Career at II.
Slaughter's career of crime began
ut fourteen, when he was convicted
Of grand larceny and sentenced To the
Arkansas reform school. He served
his term, and since that time has par
ticipated I'm numerous bank robberies
In Arkansas. Oklahoma. Texas, Mis-
souri, and elsewhere. He escaped twice
from the Texas penitentiary and his
term IN Texas was unexpired when
he killed Deputy Sheriff Brown In Hot
Springs little over a year ago.