The Redwood gazette., 1936-06-11
4St. Peter Madrnen
Still Elude Police
KNHD AIDS IN SEARCH
AS II OF 16 ARE
CAPTURED

hAAS sum dt id1SC w CuiicSudy eve
ming, radio operatives at state
crime bureau radio station
KIND in Redwood Falls looked
back on a hectic three days in
which they played an important
part in rounding up IL of the fugi-
tives.
Receiving a report of the out
break Sunday at 7:45 o. M, only a
few minutes after it occurred,
KIND was first on the air with
the news which started a chase in
outlying counties and on to Iowa
after three of the more desperate
of the hunted men had driven
through Winthrop, Gibbon, and
Fairfax on highway 19 and then
turned south through Sleepy Eye
to the state line, enroute it was
believed to hideouts in the Ozark
mountains.
Of the four still at large, Law
renee Devol, the ring leader and
a man identified with holdups and
murders including the robbery of
the State Bank of Redwood Falls
in 1882; Donald Reader, a robber
and Albert Saroko, holdup killer,
were believed to have been in the
stolen car which turned off at
Fairfax. Frank Gibson, murderer,
also. is at large while the capture
of Tony Smith at Nicollet We'd
nesday night was the twelfth af-
fected.
Overp0wer Guards
In carefully conceived plot
16 made their successful break for
liberty shortly after supper. Five
guards in the criminal ward on the
second floor of the institution were
overpowered. Six of the inmates
leaped upon the unarmed attend
ants, slugging them with chair
legs which they concealed in
their clothing.
Then the prisoners locked the
guards in small room, broke
open a supply room, seized tools
to pry open barred window, and
took a fire hose which they used
to slide to the ground about &c
feet below.
The criminals climbed a 10-foot
steel fence and six of them com.
mandeered a parked coupe in
which they raced away while the
others fed on foot.
The break was discovered by
Guard Arthur Danielson, stationed
on the first floor. The ensuing
general alarm sent guards, sheriff
posses, and police scurrying to the
scene. They were joined prompt
ly by 35 members Of q machine
gun company of the 205th Infant
ry commanded by Captain Clifford
Nutter Of st. Peter.
First reports to KIND were
that eight men escaped but the
report was corrected soon after
and complete descriptions of the
hunted men broadcast. Four anC
five broadcasts were given daily
from then on, including warnings
to hardware dealers to guarC
stocks of guns and ammunition
against thefts.
One Picked Up
Panic and suspicion ran rife in
southwestern Minnesota commun.
tiles during the early days Of the
week with practically all thinly
dressed strangers under inspec.
tion. One man was picked up anC
questioned here, then released.
Found walking along the rail.
road tracks between Gilfillan anC
Redwood Falls by Deputy Sheriff
Harry Beatty and Jack Burns
criminal bureau operative, Ken.
meth Cameron was brought to the
Redwood county Jail for investi.
cation. He was released wher
his description did not tally with
any of those of the men being
sought. Admitting being held II
jail in Nebraska, he nevertheless
established that he was a profes.
sional tramp, not connected will
the asylum break.
Beatty and Burns were return
ing from case at Morgan wher
they saw the tramp who for some
time refused to accept the ride
they offered.
A trembling man, answering tt
the description of Donald Reader
bank robber and killer, stopped al
the Breu oil station at Lambertor
Monday evening, reports from thai
town said. Appearing to be very
excited, he inquired about side
roads to a location between Lucar
and Vesta. He wore no coat OF
hat and carried no baggage, the
station attendant said.
Constantly on the lookout fol
the dangerous maniacs, local per.
sons have imagined seeing one OF
more of them at almost every cor.
ner.
Three guards from the st. Pet.
er asylum visited here Tuesday
morning, having taken side roads
from Sleepy Eye scouting the vi.
Iosx