Evening star., 1934-04-28
ESCAPED CONV|CTS'
SLA|NBY OFFICERS.
Shot Down in Flight in
Which Two Policemen
Were Kidnapped.
BY the Associated Press.


VICTORVILI4E, Calf, April 28.-
Deputy Sheriff r. Stanley Sneidiger
and three other officers shot and
killed Wanda T. Stewart and Walter
H. Wyeth, convicts who escaped
Thursday from San Quentin Prison, in
a gun battle here last night.
Stewart and Wyeth were fleeing
north from San Bernardino, Al miles
south of here. where they had an
hour before released two policemen
they had kidnapped at San Rafael, and
then held up drug store.
San Bernardino police and sheriff's
officers were in close pursuit. Deputy
Sneidiger sought to stop them, but
the escaped convicts elected to shoot
it out and the officer killed them
both.
Officers Warned.
At San Bernardino A. M. Dewey
and Phil Lecornec, the kidnapped San
Rafael police officers, said they had
been released in the northern section
OF the city with warning to wait on
the corner 10 minutes.
In the meantime, however, residents
telephoned police two suspicious -ap-
pearing characters were lettering about
the streets. The police found Dewey
and Lecornec and Immediately sound
ed an alarm which sent all available
officers in pursuit of the escaped men.
Dewey said he was of duty at San
Rafael but was at the police station
when the report that Stewart and
Wyeth had escaped came in. He and
Lecornec decided to drive about in a
search for them
About four blocks from the sta
tion," Dewey related, I'VE ran into two
suspicious-looking men and stopped to
question them. They Immediately cov-
cred us with pistols.
They drove to Napa, Fairfield, Rio
vista, then over the SierraS to Bridge
port and south through Bishop, Jo-
hannesburg and the Cajon Pass to
San Bernardino, 500 miles south of
San Rafael.
Held Up Filling Stations.
Stewart and Wyeth held up filling
stations whenever they needed easo-
line. They would tell the station op-
orator to charge it, cover them with
their pistols and drive away"
Ihe drug store held up in San Ber-
nardlno was about mile north of
the corner where Dewey and Lecornec
were released.
ADVISED by telephone to watch for
the fugltives, Deputies Sneidiger, Lou
Miller, NJ. M. Black and Carl McNew,
drove south to meet them. An auto
mobile with red police light loomed
up ahead. The officers let it pass
and then sped after it.
AS the officers car gained the fugi-
tives opened fire, which was returned
by the deputies. The officers over
took Stewart and Wyeth and In the
exchange of bullets shot them to
death: None of the deputies was
wounded.
Auto Is Riddled.
I'VE had ordered them to stop"
said Miller. but the two men Just
drove. little faster. We gave chase
and Eneidiger. sitting in the right
front seat, shot out rear tire on the
fleeing car.
The fugitives replied with rifle and
pistol fire. Sneidiger opened up and
pumped the rear of their automobile
with lead. Black and got into posi-
tion and Joined in the firing. The
convicts' car swerved heavily to one
side and stopped.
I'VE drew alongside and found the
driver dead, shot throuhg the chest.
His companion had been killed, a bull
let through his brain.
Their car was riddled and three
tires shot off. We were not hit. In
the convicts' car we found two rifles,
three pistols and machine gun"