Imperial Valley press., 1934-04-28
BOLD FLIGHT
FOR FREEDOM
ENDSFATAL[Y
San Bernardino Deputy Sheriffs
Make Short Work OF Fleeing
San Quentin Prisoners.
HOSTAGE OFFICERS FREED
Desperate Pair Runs Into Trap
On Desert After Wild Search
Throughout State.

SAN BERNARDINO, April 28.
(U,P)-A statewide manhunt for two
escaped San Quentin convicts end
ed today with both shot dead in
a running gun battle with deputy
Sheriffs near Victorville, As miles
northeast Of here.
The convicts, Wanda 7. Stewart,
29-year-old Texas and Los Angeles
robber, and Walter H. Wyeth, 40,
Stanislaus county forger, were kill
ed last night shortly after they had
released in San Bernardino two
kidnapped San Rafael police Off
GERS.
Since Wednesday afternoon, when
they slugged a guard while on sur
vey duty outside the prison, the
convicts had fled, without eating
or sleeping, over roads spanning
half the state.
Within half an hour after free
ing the officers, Phil LIE Cornec and
A. M. Dewey, Stewart and Wyeth
robbed a drug store and doubled
back on their route of flight toward
Victorville.
At Palmdale turmoil, Deputy
Sheriffs R. s. Snedigar, M. M.
Black and Lewis Miller stood guard.
They saw the fleeing automobile
and, catching up, were met with a
hail of revolver fire.
The deputies returned the fire
with rifles, discharge three times,
and as the stolen police car ca
reened to halt the body OF Stew
art tumbled out. The body OF
Wyeth was found slumped behind
the wheel. Both had been shot
through the head.
The gun battle ended a flight
of 800 miles through city, mountain
and desert, during which the men
forced Dewey at gun-point to drive
the entire distance.
Concealing pistols under hats
carried in their hands, the con-
yicts "got the DROP on the Off
GERS when the police stopped TO
question them. They disarmed
Dewey and LIE Cornec, and with
the former at the wheel, .38 pls-
tol in his ribs, and LIE Cornec un-
der guard in the back seat, began
their flight.
From San Rafael, they drove
through Napa, cut around an arm
of the bay to Fairfield and lied
through Sacramento toward Lake
Tahoe.
Release Officers
Forty miles west of the Nevada
state line they turned south over
the Sierra Nevada mountains,
touched Bridgeport and through
Bishop entered the Mojave desert
and drove to San Bernardino.
There, at $50 p. m. they ord
cred the kidnap officers from the
machine, saying they planned 10
abandon the car. Instead, the con-
yicts drove to the Berdoo pharmacy
on the outskirts of the city, held
up the establishment and fled
with $35, some soap and a razor.
Meanwhile, police teletypes and
radios spread the alarm to outly-
ing stations and patrol cars. The
San Bernardino county sheriffs
office. blockaded roads at strategic
points
At Palmdale cutoff, leading into
the Antelope valley, Snedigar, wait
ed with his fellow officers. Their
rifles we're ready in their laps.
The San Rafael police car, easily
identified, sped past and the Of
ficers took up the pursuit. AS they
overlook their quarry the convicts
opened fire and Snedigar and his
fellow-o Officers, all expert marks
men, replied with a fatal barrage
from their rifles.
Meanwhile, Haggard, bearded and
tired, the officers ate their first
meal in two days and related to
San Bernardino officers the story
of the capture and forced flight
The convicts treated them well,
the officers said, and made no
threats except an initial warning
to obey orders or I'VE will let you
have it,"
"They we're tough and we fol-
lowed instructions" Dewey said
They never stopped for more
than a few minutes. Wyeth forced
them to pose as party of friends
who had been ION drunk at
Lake Tahoe and were out of funds
With this story Wyeth borrowed
and charged gasoline sufficient
for their trip. Dewey characterized
Wyeth as a smooth talker able
to talk himself around any diff
ficulty on the trip.