Evening star., 1923-10-04

Continued from First Page.)
and Gillihan were sent to a hospital
In Paducah.
The three convicts made the first
move in their dash for liberty yes
terday. The trio shot Cunningham to
oeath and started toward the main
entrance to the prison grounds. When
they met Guard r. L. Scoles they dis
armed and bound him. By that time
other guards, attracted by the pistol
shots, were pressing the fleeing men.
Cut on from the main entrance the
desperadoes sought refuge in the
mess hall Barricading the lower
moor, they used the upstairs windows
as Ioopholes. through which they
stood off pursuers with a whitening
pistol fire.
Citizens here and mon from nearby
Farms armed themselves with such
weapons as were observation-disclosures
hunting rifles and revolvers-and re-
inforced the guards. The exchange Of
bullets was brisk during the hrst
hours of the siege. but before night
the firing had become desultory. The
outside walls OF the mess hall Hooded
with light from a score OF actylene
torches arranged by the guards.
Early today Guard Lewis Hill, who
was reported to have been caught in
the mess hall by the convicts. appear
ed among the besiegers and said he
was able only after dark to escape
from a small outbuilding. within the
range Of fire of the desperadoes,
where he was trapped when the
That the trio watching from he
hind the dark second story windows
of the barricaded mess hall are play
ing the game" notwithstanding their
apparent relentlessness in shooting
down those who attempted to o2pos.
hay in q
desperate position which they now are
placed, was indicated by their action
in the case of Guard Mattingly.
a bullet ripped through Mattingly's S
body and dropped him in spot ex-
posed to the fire of the hidden con-
victs He begged for water and for
medical attention for his wound, but
prison authorities refused to permit
his fellow guards to risk their lives
in an attempt to move the wounded
life-term convict from Paducah,
went TO Mattingly. gave him water
and later carried him to a shed. From
the shed, with the aid of other pris-
oners. Warner moved the wounded
guard to the prison hospf<al
Mattingly was reported to have OBJ
jected at first to proposals by Warner
that the latter carry him away. fear
Ing that the cornered convicts would
shoot him to death in the prisoner s
arms. When he accepted Warner S
help his fears were proven ground
less.
First plans today for driving the
desperadoes from their stronghold
without further loss Of life included
an ingenious scheme to use the pipes
of the steam heating plant for fore
ing tear gas and red pepper into the
room where the men are hidden.
The gas and pepper idea. however,
was abandoned as impracticable after
q survey OF the situation. Instead
plans were made to train machine
guns on the building. maintain a
steady fire and at an opportune mo-
ment rush the structure with the
guards and state soldiers, who num-
Der more than 100.
During the fusillade yesterday a
stray bullet cut one of the pipes
Clouds of steam in the room gave the
prison authorities the first intimation
of that fact. Today they began prep
arations to load one of the mains
leading to the room with gas and
pepper and force 1t into the room with
steam.