New Britain herald., 1923-10-04
Facing Ring of Death

Facing Ring of Death
 From behind the walls of their inn
 provised fortress the desperadoes fac
 ed ring of death.
 Stationed at vantage points about the barricaded building were prison guards, members of troop c, from the National Guard machine gun com pany at Hopkinsville and citizen marksmen from the neighboring countryside. The trim barrels of two machine guns were trained upon the building ready to greet with 2 with ering stream of bullets any attempted sortie.
 Offensive Today
 Prison authorities and National Guard officers were expected to initi- ate today an active attempt to dis lodge the besieged convicts, Monte Walters of Louisville, Lawrence Grif- filth of Mayfield and Harry Ferland, committed from Newport. Tear gas guns brought last night by the tear gas squad of the Louisville police de- pertinent were held by the authorities to be ineffective inasmuch as their users would be exposed to the fire of the besiged men. on account of the isolated site of the mess hall.
 Tear gas bombs were ordered from the state arsenal and were expected to arrive today.
 Victims of the convicts desperate bid for freedom were Hodge Cunning ham, shot dead; V. R. Mattingly, probably fatally wounded; William Gilbert, whose condition is reported critical, and w. F. Gillipan. Gilbert and Gillipan were sent to hospital in Paducah.
 Break For Liberty
 The three convicts made the first move in their dash for liberty early | Wednesday. The trio shot Cunning ham to death and started toward the | main entrance to the prison grounds, When they met guard R. l.. Scoles they disarmed and bound him. By | that time other guards attracted by | the pistol shots were pressing the fleeing men. Cut off from the main entrance the desperadoes sought refuge in the mess hall. Barricading the lower floor they used the upstairs windows as loopholes through which they stood off pursuers with wither- ing pistol fire.
 Siege Lasts All Night
 Citizens here and men from nearby farms armed themselves and rein forced the guards. The exchange Of bullets was brisk during the first hours of the siege but before night the firing had become desultory. The siege wore through the night with outside walls of the mess hall flood ed with light from score of acety- enc torches arranged by the guards.
 Early today Guard Lewis Hill. who was reported to have been caught in he mess hall by the convicts ap- ,eared among the besiegers and said 1e was able only after dark to es- ape from small outbuilding with [, the range of fire of the desperadoes where he was trapped when the hooting started.
 That the trio watching from be- lind the dark second story windows if the barricaded mess hall are playing the game" notwithstanding heir apparent relentlessness in hooting down those who attempted{ O oppose them in the attempted es- [ ape and the desperate position in c which they now are placed was in- f ieated by their action in the case of f iuard Mattingly.
 Lifer Goes to Rescue q A bullet ripped through Mattingly's Ii ody and dropped him in spot ex- a osed to the fire of the hidden con- jets. He begged for water and for \ iedical attention for his wound but | rison authorities refused to permit is fellow guards to risk their lives I an attempt to move the wounded ian to safety. Finally A. c. War nj CT, life term convict from Paducah, lea ent to Mattingly's gave him water k' nd later carried him to shed. From d. ne shed, with the aid of other pris- lo
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