The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-10
SLAUGHTER SLAIN
BY CONVICT HE'D
FREED FROM CELL
Notorious Desperate Had
Planned to Kill Companions.
Slayer Declares He Left Cell
With Intent in Mind.
LEFT NOTE IN PRISON AS PROOF
End Came to Bandits Career
Just at NightfalI.
Had Marched Behind Comrades
With Shotgun.
LEFT NOTE IN PRISON AS PROOF
(By the Associated Press.)

Little Rock, Ark, Dec 10.-The
body of Tom Slaughter, notorious out
law. killed last night in the woods of
Salina county by J. c.. Howard, con-
vict, who escaped with Slaughter and
five other convicts from the peniten-
tiary here Friday morning, was found
in the woods north of Benton this
morning, according to a telephone
message received here from L. B.
White, Bolton newspaper man, who
said he hurried in town ahead of the
posse. -he body. he said, would reach
Benton in about an hour.
Mr.. White said that about half of
Slaughter's face was shot off and that
he was wounded in the side, his de-
scrpition of the wounds corresponding
with that of Howard, whose story of
the killing had been doubted in some
quarters.
Had Reported Body Missing.
Just prior to the telephone message
from Mr.. White, it was reported here
that the searching parties had been
unable to find the body, and Warden
Dempsey started with Howard for
Malvern to aid the officers in their
search.
The body, Mr.. White said, was found
lying on one side and its position in
-dicated that the bandit was shot while
lying down. He gave the names of
the men who found the body as Gus
Headrick and A. M. Guile, members
of the posse. No trace of Charles
Jones, negro, said to have been left
near Slaughter, in dying condition.
was found. It was reported that he
was seen near a farm house early this
morning, but this had not been con-
firmed.
Had Ruled Penitentiary.
Over-aweing armed guards in the
Arkansas penitentiary with a gun he
received from an undetermined source,
Tom Slaug liter, a murderer and rob-
Der, escaped with seven other convicts
early yesterday morning only to be
shot and killed by one of the conVicts
he liberated during his six-hour
domination of the prison.
Slaughter's body early today lay in
a clump of woods beside a fatally
wounded negro convict, who was shot
in gun fight with authorities of Ben
ton, when the convict party passed
in an effort to escape.
Left Prison To Kill Him.
]. c. Howard, who says he shot
Slaughter from behind, told authorl-
ties last night that he intended to kill
Slaughter from the time they left the
prison, and that he left note In the
prison which would substantIate his
claim.
Howard, with four other prisoners,
voluntarily surrendered to a rarmer or
Saline county last night, who turned
them over to authorities at Benton,
where they are being held. No charge
has been made against Howard for the
killing of Slaughter.
Slaughters escape from the prison,
which he ruled as a master, offering
freedom to convicts with the unre-
straint of pardoning governor, is de-
sCribed here as an element of un-
coercibIe bravery, distinctly character
istic of the desperate, who for years
has defied the law.
Sheriff J. J. Crow of Saline county,
who confirmed the report of Slaugh-
ter's death last night, today expected
TO lead a party into the hills to recover
Slaughter's body and that of the negro.
Howard Was Forger.
Five negroes are held here with
Howard, who was serving a three-year
sentence for forgery. His record while
in prison. according to authorities. is
f(,oDtinued on mage FThreel