The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent., 1921-05-27

IL. 1913, the tour mad managed TO
be brought before the warden for
infraction Of rules, and, curious
thing, they were the only ones to be
heard that morning. 1t was the Gus
tom at the prison to bring all who
were reported, into the waiting room
together, and from there to the office
or court, one at a time.
John Robinson, the deputy warden,
was the ill-fated guard who brought
them in this time, and by some freak
OF fate, contrary to the usual way
of going in behind the prisoners, he
went in first. AS the last one came
in, he threw the door, which had a
spring lock, shut and it locked. Rock
and Hayes sprang bn Robinson and
began cutting and stabbing him.
Stevens and Young did not seem to
be carrying out their part of the
devilish scheme, and Rock left Hayes
to take care of Robinson, threw open
the door to the office and rushed in,
locking the door with it's spring lock
behind him; then made for the war
den, demanding the keys. Frank
Conley, who was at his desk, replied
that he had no keys to spare and
came over the railing that surround
ed the desk and grappled with Rock,
who began to stab and cut viciously
After a brief struggle, the warden
succeeded in knocking Rock sense
less, and opening the door to the
hall threw him out, and then turned
to the waiting room from which came
sounds OF fierce struggle. AS he
turned, the door opened and Robin
cfo In f@01 h,,
who was thrusting at him with a
bloody knife. Robinson's head was
almost severed from his shoulders
and blood was squirting from the
severed jugular in solid stream
which reached the ceiling. He SEEM
ed to be trying to say something and
fell against the desk and then to
the floor. The warden closed with
Hayes, who began to stab and slash.
as Rock had done. In the struggle
lthe door was slammed shut and
locked, as were the other two. The
warden showed his gun against
Hayes head and pulled the trigger
three or four times, but not one cart
ridge exploded. Again he pulled the
trigger, and this time the cartridge
Responded but it was faulty and did
no damage. In the hall by this time
were several guards trying to get in
A convict who was trusty around
the office had heard the noise and
had run out into the yard and told
the guards that fight was going
on in the office. The guard on the
wall who could not see what was
going on, shouted "They are killing
the warden in there. Get in
Rock was lying on the hall floor
covered with the warden's blood FL
nally two of the guards threw their
, weight against the door and broke
: the lock. They crowded in and saw
) a fearful sight. On the floor by the
desk Robinson lay dead in a pool OF
blood, his throat cut from ear to ear
The walls were spattered with blood
as was the ceiling. Between Robin.
son and the door Frank Conley, who
was literally covered with blood from
about fifty knife cuts, had Hayes
down and was beating him on the
head with his revolver. He was
getting weak from the loss of sc
much blood and his blows did not dc
much execution. One of the guard.
struck Hayes with billy and pu,
him out. The warden was taken t.
the prison hospital and doctor
| summoned who dressed his wounds
His neck, face, breast and legs wer,
mass of cuts and stabs. He wa!
then taken to his home.
Il Young and Stevens both got col,
feet at the very start. AS soon as tn,
attack began on Robinson they go
out and went back to the cell house
throwing their knives away, but no
saying word as to the row. TIL
house guards, seeing them come i,
and go to their cells, thought the
had been sent back by the warden.
The four criminals were tried fo
murder. Rock and Hayes wer
found guilty of first degree murde