, 1921-12-09

.. - (by Tho Associated
Press.)-Tom Slaughter, con-
victed slayer and bank rob-
Der, wanted in Oklahoma,
Texas, Missouri, Kentucky
and Pennsylvania, last night took
charge Of the penitentiary here. lock-
ed the warden. his family and guards.
IN cells. opened the gates and doors
OF the prison. offered freedom TO all.
prisoners n after ruling the place
Tor five hours. escaped in al. automo-
bile at $40 o'clock his morning.
Slaughter. under sentence Of death
for The killing of a trusty guard at
the state prison farm At Tucker, Ark.
who're he was serving n life sentence
for the killing of Deputy Sheriff Row
Brown of Hot Springs. took six on
victs with him. four OF whom were
negroes under sentence OF death. Six
negroes under deathe sentence in con.
nection with the riots at Elaine, Ark.
IN 1919. refused tho opportunity and
remained In their cells.
Reports carly today said Slaughter
GERS at Benton. Is miles southwest,
49, haa~ ~ bno wa AAlaLo0 anu tuht
Slaughter and his party had turned
northwest from there
Four armed posses and sheriffs In
several counties today were securing
their sections for the escaped convicts
An unconfirmed report was received
here that tho car had been abandoned
near Denton.
After the escape IL developed that
a revolver had boon smuggled to
Slaughter in the death cell where
he had been closely guarded since his
conviction at Pine Bluff of killing
the convict guard. Feigning illness.
Slaughter succeeded in getting n
guard TO open his cell door about $3.50
o'clock last night. He held up this
guard and another standing near by.
took their pistols and then forced
them to go ahead of him to tho stock.
AIDE where their presence admitted
them and permitted him to overpower
the n guard on duty there.
Slaughter then opened the cells and
offered all the prisoners liberty. Only
six took advantage OF the offer and
two OF the guards were locked up.
He next took n guard to tho OF.
flee of the p~enitentiary with him and
took possession OF It. turning the
guards on duty there over to thu men
who elected to escape with him. Next
he went Il tho hospital and forced
n nurse TO prccede him outside the
walls to the apartments occupied by
Warden T.. II rempsey and HIS fam
1y. The nurse awakened them and
Slaughter then forced them to accom-
pany him 70 tho death cell where they
were locked up. He told them he
would not harm them and later
brought them a pot of coffee with
cream. sugar and cups.
Slaughter then threw tho gates OF
the p~enitcniary wide open and lei
surely set about QUILTING himself
and companions with civilian clothes
from the commissary.
At $50 q m. Warden Dempsey said
he heard an automobile leaving and
with the aid OF prison ers above, who
cut a hole through h floor at his
direction. he escaped from h death
cell and spread the alarm.
Slaughter had taken an automo-
bile belonging to Mrs. Dempsey and
| stripped all the tires from a roadster
belonging to Edward Dempsey, son
| of the warden.
Slaughter is rs years Of age He
/ told an Associated Press correspond
| ent at the time of his first i~ncarcera-
ton in the penitentiary here that he
was reared in southern Arkansas. and
when IA years of ago was convicted Of
a charge of grand larceny and sent
to tho reform school. He served his
term and then .driftsd into Oklahoma.
Since that time he has participated
in numerous bank robberies in Arkan-
sas. Oklahoma. Texas. Missouri 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
q little over a a ago.
Slaughter denied a killing credited
to him in Pennsylvania but admitted
that he had taken part in many rob
berries.
Slaughter made an unsuccessful at
tempt to escape from tbs prison farm
lat Tucker when he killed h trusty
guard in September. Slaughter mad
obtained a ri1e and or Sunday when
the men were gathered in a bath
II . lr1--AG-.-I 49, Dr."