Evening star., 1935-02-18
81 CONV|CTS FLEE
OKLAHOMA PRISON
18 Are Still at Large After
Using Women and Chill.
dren as Shields.
BY the Associated Press.


GRANITE, Okla, February 16.-
Eighteen desperate convicts were at
large in the Southwest today after
a wholesale break from the State re-
formatory in which women and chill
dren were used as shields and one
guard was shot to death.
Back in the cells were l3 other
convicts who had joined in the Sun
day dash for liberty. while Mrs. George
A. Waters-the Nations only FEM
Stunned praise for her heroism and
sought the source Of pistols smuggled
to the leaders.
Hastily summoned sheriff's posses
rode throughout the night over the
short-grass plains seeking to flush
the felons from their hiding places.
All major highways were blockaded
and farmers grimly guarded their
homes against possible depredations
of the freed killers and robbers.
The break followed an investigation
into reports of cruel treatment OF
the inmates.
Pistols Struggled in.
1--WE have been having trouble down
here all week." said the warden, who
yesterday exposed herself to gunfire
of the prisoners. I'VE took every
precaution, but we couldn't guard
against guns being smuggled in from
the outside"
From two Smuggled pistols, the plot
expanded abruptly to its deadly COM
pletion.
The ringleaders appeared suddenly
at the side of trusty prisoner. serv-
ing as inside turnkey, pooking pistol
muzzle against his ribs.
Give us the keys" they Missed.
With cold precision the malcon-
tents rounded up all inside turnkeys
and Day Sergt. Walter Ford, locking
them in a cell.
Come on" they yelled.
A mob Of youthful prisoners rallied
to the cry, rushed headlong upstairs
into the visitors room.
There were about 20 visitors there,
mostly women and children" said
Leslie Long, a convict, who was there
talking with his wife and sister-in-
law.
I'VE all went out toward the front
tower. They herded us out there to
keep the guards from shooting at
them.
After they broke I went over and
gave up"
AS the cage-maddened mob RAM
PACED down the corridors toward the
double-barred front door and free
dom one of them snatched a sawed
off shotgun from door guards wall
rack.
An instant later the same gun
blazed its fatal charge at 60-year-old
Uncle" Peter Jones. veteran tower
guard.
I'm sure he didn't have a chance
to defend himself" cried Mrs. Waters.
The escaping convicts hunched
forward warily behind their helpless
hostages.
A feminine figure raced into the
yard from the warden'S residence, just
outside the walls. 1t was Warden
Waters. Her hand futtered up in
signal to riflemen in sentry-boxes
on wall and tower.
They fired without effect, their
craftsmanship impeded by the hapless
captives.
But q moment later, from a flank,
came the sullen boom of Deputy War
den M. r. Gallons automatic shot
gun.
Eight Wounded by SluSs.
Eight prisoners lurched and STUN
bled as his slugs ripped into their
flesh. None was seriously hurt. An
other, terrified, halted. A tenth was
taken nearby by a civilian, Vernon
Taliaferro of Carter, who was present
at the break and was deputized and
armed by the guards.
Twenty-one of the more determined
prisoners swarmed into parked auto
mobiles. or stopped drivers of cars
on the big highway upon which the
reformatory faces.
Three Of them were recaptured
later by possemen at Sayre.
Mrs. Waters administration has
been Investigated by three different
State agencies.
1T has been upset here since they
started their Investigations" COM
planned the woman who took charge
Of the institution in 1927, year after
the death Of her husband, who also
held the office.
Ironically, many Of the fugitives
less than fortnight ago scrawled
their signatures to a petition asking
that Mrs. Waters be retained as head
of the reformatory, and praising her