Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-12-13
PALS COWARDLY BULLET
HALTS BANDITS ESCAPE

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Dec. r.
of the body of Tom Slaughter, noto-
rious bandit and outlaw, in the
woods 20 miles northwest of Ben
ton Saturday by a posse, corrobo-
rated the story of J. c. Howard, one
of the six other convicts that Slaugh-
ter gave a chance for liberty when
he made his escape yesterday from
the penitentiary here, that he shot
Slaughter while the latter's back was
turned.
With half of the face shot off and
a'wound in enc side, the bandits
body was found lying on it's side.
According to Towards story of the
affair, he shot Slaughter while he
was reclining before the camp fire
which the seven convicts had built
after they had abandoned the auto
mobile in which they escaped from
the penitentiary.
Howard id the seven men, two
whites and five negroes, kept to-
sether and escaped posses which
they heard several times, and late
in the afternoon came to the seclud-
ed spot where they camped.
Howard said Slaughter was slight
ly paler than usual but betrayed no
sign of emotion. He occasionally
warned the other members of the
party that he would kill them if they
''slaclzened."
Howard said he watched his
chance and got the promise of Jim
Wells and Clifton Taylor, two of the
negroes, to frame up" on Slaugh-
Ter and the other negroes. The plan
was carried out as arranged. The
negroes, watching their chance, dis
armed the other negroes as they
slept. Howard then shouted, and
as Slaughter started to rise to his
feet shot him three times.
The negroes who were not in the
plot fled and Howard said he and
Wells and Taylor attempted unsuc-
cessfully to capture them. He hen
returned to the fire, he and the ne
groes gathered all the pistols they
could find and went to the farm
house, where they surrendered last
night.
Slaughter's body was taken to
Benton this afternoon. Thousands
crowded into the little town of Ben
ton to view Slaughter'S body.
The crowd was so dense and so
insistent that officers placed the
body on a wagon on one of the
principal streets and permitted the
Nv
An investigation disclosed that
there was bullet wound in the
dead bandits back as well as the
head and side.
Jack Howard, the convict who
rested Sunday by Sheriff J. J. Grow,
OF Saline county, at Bentonf1 on
charge of first-degree murder.
10 date for preliminary hearing
has been set, but d coroner's inquest
in.o Slaugnter's death will be held
at 2 p. IA. Monday and the coroner
to the grand jury. The grand jury
also has power to investigate the
killing, regardless of any other &C
ton.
Meanwhile Howard again is held
In the state penitentiary here. He
was brought back from Benton Sun
day on the request Of Governor T.
c. McRae, VINO assured Saline coun-
ty authorities that he would be de-
livered to them to stand trial when
they desire.
Howard had been returned to Ben
ton to assist in a search for the pis-
tol with which Slaughter captured"
the penitentiary in his spectacular
escapade. This pistol was wanted
largely because of the part it plays
in the investigation here into the re-
sponsibility for Slaughter's escape.
Howard said that Slaughter, while
the convicts were in the woods,
forced one of the negroes with him
to take the pistol and give him an
other pistol in exchange, and that
the negro later threw the pistol into
q creek. A detailed search of the
creek failed to disclose the pistol
and Howard was sent for. The gun
later was found in a field, thus dis
proving another detail in Towards
story of the final hours of the ban.