Evening star., 1925-08-13
THREE ARE SLAIN
IN PRISON BREAK
Two Guards and Convict
Lose LiveS-Trio of PriS-
oners Escape.
~ the Associated Press

SALEM, Oree. August i3.-The
oregon National Guard today was or
dered to mobilize 10 aid posses in the
search for three conviCts who escaped
from the State penitentiary last night.
Oregon" Bert Jones, notorious prison.
breaker and highWayman, was fatally
shot after he had killed two prison
guards in sensational dash for lib
ertv.
j. NJ. Holman and John Sweeny were
killed by Jones. Lutte Savage. another
euard, was shot and his condition was
serious.
Ellsworth Kelly. James Willos and
Tom Murray. the ConvictS sought, eS
capped in a taNicab commandeered
from the State Hospital, quarter Of
= mile north of the prison. All three
we're heavily armed. desperate. and it
was believed they would not be taken
alive.
The quartet procured the arms for
their attack on prison guards in an
assault on the arsenal
Slew Two Guards.
The four Convicts did not go down
- supper after entering their cells
from the yard. Cutting a hole through
The roof, they used SpliCed ropes to
drop to the main yard, and then en-
tered the arsenal, forestalling the eff
forts of Warden A. M. Dalrymple to
lock the building. After assaulting a
turnkey, the convicts obtained four
rifles and several revolvers. with
which they slew two guards in the
first tower north of the entrance.
Another guard was struck by a stray
bullet. John Davidson, a guard, shot
Jones as he was dropping off the wall.
Heading for the State Hospital. the
ronyipts comma Odaored fha tayirab
kidnapped hospital attendant. and,
using him for protection against bul.
lets, escaped to the hills.
a demonstration was staged by
prisoners in the north wing while the
bodies of Sweeney and Holman were
heing removed from the tower.
Jones was serving 20 years for as
sault and robbery; Willos was in for
z years for burglary. and had previous
prison records; Kelly was under 20
year sentence for aiding a prisoner
~ escape, and Murray's sentence was
20 years for bank robbery. The four
we're received at the prison between
1922 and 1924.
Jones, Kelly and Murray. with Two
other COnvicts, escaped over the south
wall of the prison the morning of
March IS, 1924. All five later were
returned, Jones. the last being
orouEnt baCk 10 the prison IN march
Of this year.
First in % Years.
The escape was the first accom-.
plished with violence since that of
Harry Tracy and David MerreI the
morning of June 9, 1902. when three
guards, Frank B. Farrell, 8. r. T.
Jones and B. T. Tiffany, were slain.
Tracy was 81 and serving 20 years,
and Merrell 81. serving l3 years. for
assault and robbery.
Search for the two convicts was
carried on through the Northwest for
several months, rewards totaling ST.
500 being offered for Tracy and Mer-
rell. dead or alive. Somewhere in
western Washington Tracy killed Mer-
rell. who. he thought, was going to
give up. Tracy was later surrounded
by posse in an eastern Washington
wheat field and killed Tracy's wife
vas Merrell's sister. Both bodies were
returned to Salem and buried in the
old prison cemetery, about 100 yards
northeast of the institution.
Gov. Walter NJ. Pierce, who was in
Portland to attend a meeting, can
ceied all engagements and started
hack 10 Salem on hearing of The riot