Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-09-06
GARDNER MAKES
HIS ESCAPE At
NJ NEIL PRISON
California Bandit Goes
Over Wall During
Convict Ball Game.
One of Confederates
Killed; Another In
jured by Guards.

Tacoma, Sept. 5.-Roy Gardner, Cali
fornia mail bandit. escaped from Nc
Neil's island federal prison this after
noon. Everett Impyn, Camp Lewis sol
der, recently sent up for life for q
statutory offense. was shot and killed
during the attempted jail break. in
which he and Gardner and Lawrence
Bogart, also doing life for the same
offense as Impyn. participated. Bo-
CART was shot and recaptured and is in
the prison hospital, possibly fatally
wounded. It is believed Gardner also
was wounded, although this is not GER
tain.
Gardner Gets Over.
Warden Maloney and his deputies are
confident Gardner has not escaped
from the island unless he had confed-
crates who were waiting
The Jail break came during the prog
ress of ball game Monday afternoon.
when more than $50 prisoners were
standing around the prison yard watch
ing the game. Gardner was playing
on the team. The three prisoners are
said to have made a rush for the fence.
Impyn was shot and killed almost in
stantly by the guards. Gardner got
over the fence.
The escape Of Gardner was the third
ne had made in the last 13 months
On two previous occasions he escaped
from officers while en- route to prison
to serve long sentence.
His Third Escape.
Gardner made his first break for lib
erty in August, 1920, from train at
Portland. He had been sentenced for
25 years for robbery of mail wagon
at San Diego. On June II of this year,
he escaped from county federal mar
shal and federal guard on a train
near Castle Rock, Wn., while en- route
to McNeil's island prison to serve
term of 25 years for robbing the mail
near New Castle, Calf. He had con-
fessed to the robbery. He was cap
tured at Centralia, Wn., June Is and
taken to Mcneil prison.
Several of the guards believe Gard
ner was wounded in his dash across
the field but the majority are of
the opinion that he escaped un-
up any trail of blood.
Warden Maloney believes it possible
that Gardner may have had confed-
crates waiting outside and that they
spirited him away in a boat. This
theory is borne out by the fact that
no trace has been found of him since
his escape, although posses have COW
cred virtually every square yard of
ground on the small island.
If Gardner has reached the Olympic
peninsula, the authorities expect as
q man hunt as that which
they pursued last June when Gardner
escaped from Deputy United States
Marshals at Castle Rock, Wash,
while en- route to Mcneil island.
Cattle Aid Escape.
Mcneil island is located on an arm
If Puget sound about eight miles
southwest of Tacoma, Wash. 1t is
heavily wooded over practically it's
entire surface The channel separating
he island from the mainland is about
| mile across at the narrowest point.
Gardners escape according to ad-
vices from McNeil's island was aided
~ herd Of cattle which were graz
ng just outside the prison walls.
Gardner dashed into the herd and
'aused a stampede of which the con-
'ict took advantage, protecting him
'elf from the guards fire by keeping
Lmong the fleeing cattle.
He continued his flight to a clump
# bushes. Guards set fire to the |
woods in an efforts to smoke him
ut. This gave rise to reports that
he penitentiary buildings were burn I
ng.