The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-07
SIX MAKE ESCAPE
But Four Prisoners Quickly
Caught by County Jailer.
Turned an Ice Delivery Into n
Jail Delivery.

Six prisoners in the Shawnee
county Jail may face charges of as
sauit with intent to kill, conspiracy to
break Jail and charges of breaking
iail as the result of their escape about
$50 o'clock Sunday morning. and the
wounding of Frank De Hart negro
Two w of the men-cecn James. 10.
and b. L. Benton, 20-are still at
large The other fOur-S. \.
Sellers and Richard Terry-were re-
The six men had been planning the
TAIL delivery for some time. 1t was
No. cell. nearest the door of the big
cell room. De Hart opened the cell
door TO admit the iceman No one
was in sight. But just as the iceman
from the cell, knocked him down and
rushed thru the door. Thweatt struck
De Hart with an iron pipe, The
taller grasped his wrist and throat.
stairs into the hall. De Hart came up
on top. but johnson, coming up from
J behind. struck him over the head
with a milk bottle, temporarily stun
ming him. Then~the men ran out the
door of the Jail and ran north in the
Quickly recovering his senses. De
Hart yelled to the iceman to lock the
iron bar fall into place ne ran into
the office and got his revolver. Then,
barefooted and .bareheaded and wear
ing only a nightshirt and trousers he
set out after the escaped prisoners.
He pursued them north thru the al
lev and with the assistance of police
officers cornered Johnson. Thweatt
and Terry in Turner hall, between the
Rock Island tracks and the river.
They were brought back and locked
orville Sellers was picked UP by the
police about two hours later near
Crane and Madison streets When De
Hart got back to jail with the two
men, blood was flowing freely from
the wound in his head. caused by the
milk bottle. His feet were also bleed
ing, and a piece of glass as large as
his thumb nail was taken from one
of them.
May Pay for Freedom
The mood in which the county au-
thorities were found today as the re-
suit of the Jail breaking indicated that
the men would pay dearly for their
attempt to gain freedom. They may
face not only charges of jail breaking.
which under various statutes carries
sentences from six months to two
years, but may also be charged with
assault with intent to kill as q result
of their attack upon De Hart. Inas-
much as James, Benton, Thweatt and
johnson were government prisoners,
they may be charged with conspiracy
to Break Jail under the federal stat
utes.
Young Terry was merely being held
for trial for JOY riding in another
mans auto and probably would not
have drawn over a thirty day sentence.
James and Benton were being held
awaiting the grand jury at Wichita on
charge of transporting a stolen auto
in interstate commerce. They prob
ably would not have drawn to exceed
four months.
sistant United States district attorney.
James and Benton stole a car iii
Wichita Falls, Tex, and drove A, to
Cherryvale. Kan. where they disposed
the party. Two of them pleaded
guilty and have served their time
James escaped at ChePryvale after he
had been arrested, according to Nc
Farland, but was recaptured. Benton
attempted to escape when he was ar
rested in San Diego. Mcfarland said,
but was also recaptured after being
shot three times.
The worst men, according to Nc
Farland, are Thweatt and johnson
The former is charged with stealing a
car in California and driving IL to
Mullin, Idaho. He was arrested at
Cherryvale, Kan. ana was awaiting
the meeting of the grand jury at
johnson is charged with breaking
into the railway station at Macksville,
in Stafford county, Kansas, and steal
ing sack of mail. out of which he In
said to have obtained some checks
pany at Wichita. He is wanted in
Mcpherson county for safe blowing
and also in Harvey county, according
to federal officers. He was a member
Of the Thirty-fifth division and his
home is in Dodge City.