Evening star., 1933-05-31
WARDEN TELLS OF FLIGHT
OF HIS CONVICT CAPTORS
Kansas Prison III e a d
Freed i'm Oklahoma
Hill Country.
GIVEN ST. BY MEN
One Fugitive Wounded
but Is Able.to Get in
And Out of Car.

BY the Associated Press.
KANSAS CITY, May 31.-Warden
Kirk Prather of the Kansas State Peni-
tentiary, who with two prison guards
was forced to accompany 6 OF ii des-
perate convicts in daring escape from
the penitentiary at Lansing, Kans., dur
ing Memorial day base ball game, told
his story of the escape to represent
ative of the Associated Press and the
Kansas City Star.
The warden, in telephone converse
ton after the fleeing convicts had re-
leased him and the two guards near
Welch, Okla, gave the following account
of his experience:
"I was watching the base ball game
in the prison yard" he said, when
Wilbur UnderhiI1, a life-termer con-
victed of murder, slipped up behind me
and threw a slip-knot moose CT wire
around nv neck At the same time
another convict think it was Harvey
Bailey-pressed a revolver against my
back. A third convict drew my arms
behind me.
"Other guards were taken around me.
Several guards, covered by six conVictS,
ioined us and together We marched TO
watch tower post No. 3l2, where we
stopped.
Threatens to Kill Ia.
"UnderhiIl spoke up He was the
leader of. the gang. Here's what our
plan is he said. Well kill all IA
guards within range of Our guns. then
kill you, unless you do what we say.
Make that guard up there take down his
gun
"a guard on the wall was covering
us. Just then the alarm siren blew to
inform the prison that an escape was in
progress. and Underhill ordered Bailey
to kill Sherman Bailey lifted his re-
volver, when I shouted to the guard on
the wall to lower his gun and not TO
fire under any circumstances. TheH
the guard was commanded to throw
his KEYS down to lis, and we proceeded
on to post No. 3, at the southeast cor
ner of the yard. The trap to the tower
was opened and we assembled.
"As we entered the tower Underhill
twisted the end of my wire leash around
his left wrist. With his right hand he
held a revolver against my side.
There were six convicts in the group.
W. E. Muselman, in charge of prison
recreation; John Laws, John Sherman
and I were the only guards taken aloft.
A coil of rope in the watch tower, used
for pulling up fuel and provisions, was
thrown down the outside Of the wall
Underhill commanded me to slide down.
He followed, the wire around my neck
still fastened to his wrist.
Laws and Sherman came down with
the five other convicts While the con-
victs we're in a huddle, trying to de-
eide their next step, think, somebody
fired shot from the wall. 1t struck
Bailey in the right leg and he went
down. Afterward we found his leg was
broken just below the knee.
Placed on Running Board.
when the Woodson car was seized
dodge car of w. w. Woodson, prison
farm superintendent, taken from prison
garage Bailey had to be helped to the
back seat. I didn't see the car taken.
Underhill made me stand on the run
ming board. He crawled into the back
seat. The two guards and one convict
also stood on the running board.
Jim Clark, life-termer from Bourbon
County, took the wheel and drove down
a road skirting the prison farm.
"'You show us how to keep out Of
the mud Underhill said to me, or
I'll kill you. Understand?'
II told him not to fear, that would
direct them to good road. We drove
south on State Highway No. 5. Under
hill somehow got this revolver tangled
up with his clothing or the wire ana
it was discharged. The shot
shattered the back window of our car.
1.-THE road turned east mile and a
half farther on and we turned to the
right to get to United States Highway
No. TIE. Just before we reached It,
however, Woodson's car began to sput-
ter and stopped. Clark got out, tink-
cred with the engine and said we would
have to find another car
Just then a Chevrolet coach, al
most new, passed on the slab. 1t seemed
to be crowded with women and chill
dren. A few minutes later the convicts
toward Wallulu, Kans. We passed the
Chevrolet.
Loses Track of Route.
"At Wallulu the Dodge sputtered
again; Clark tried to pull the car of
the road. The car stalled sidewise
in the middle of the slab, blocking
the Chevrolet, which was approaching
it. Evidently the occupants of the
Chevrolet thought we Intentionally
blocked the road
1.-THE convicts Immediately leveled
guns at the Chevrolet and We changed
places with the passengers, leaving
Woodson's car in the middle of the
highway. Ed Davis, life-termer, took
the wheel of the Chevrolet. Bailey was
bleeding I was in the back seat. The
two guards rode the running board, re-
| volvers aimed at their heads. They rode
! the running board the rest of the day.
We went south of TIE and later
turned off into dirt road. lost track
of our route from then on.
Il think we crossed the Kaw River
about 10 miles southwest of Linwood
Kans., then drove into Eudora, where
we bought gasoline at an out-of-t
way filling station. Underhill paid fol-
| it. kept my head down. The attend
ant wasn't suspicious.
Somewhere below Ottawa, Kans., the
driver said he saw police car ahead
| One of my guards told me afterward il
| contained uniformed officers and ap-
| peared to carry machine gun. Davis
stopped the car and ordered the guards
to stand off at the roadside. Two con-
| victs jumped out with pistols, prepared
| to meet the police car.
| ut came almost within fighting range
/ s,aA~ ND hna l-aI rNfT