Milford chronicle., 1937-07-30
LEVY COURT
FINISHES PROBE
rConfinHed from First Psge1

| LOOh HIS Keys anu lucu SldItcu u
make their dash for freedom. Hear
ing a commotion, Deputy WardeI
|, Charles McCabe appeared on the
scene and was also forced to one enc
of the building. One of the prisoners
said to be Lucas, shot at him. The
bullet went through his pants leg
but fortunately did not hit him
Warden Smith and Luther Tingle, q
negro trusty, who works around the
Jail premises and on the farm, heard
the shots and rushed to the prison
When Tingle entered the front door
he rushed to the anti-room and seiz-
ed a shotgun and began firing
through the doorway leading into
the mess hall. The three fed to the
kitchen portion of the prison. In the
meantime, however, members of the
highway police force had arrived on
the scene and surrounded the pris-
on. They were heard working on a
rear door where three policemen
were stationed. Deputy Warden Nc
Cabe, who had seen them flee to the
kitchen, crept out and quietly walk
ed to the kitchen with pistol in hand.
He took them unawares and de-
manded them to throw up their
hands. They surrendered. However,
before going to the kitchen McCabe
opened the door and allowed some
of the highway policemen to enter.
For a time it was feared that there
might be a pitched battle between
the prisoners and the officers. They
were placed in their cells and since
that time have been in close con-
finement and under guard.
Lucas admitted that he had
threatened Purnell and had planned
with Deshields to try and escape on
Sunday afternoon. Purnell, fearing
Lucas, went along with them.
Lucas, who with Robert E. Wiki
erson, of Delmar. escaped from the
prison ON April 20, last year, by ov-
empowering a guard and threatening
to cut his throat with razor which
they had used to shave that morn
ing, thus forcing the outer guard to
open the main door in order to save
the life of the inside guard, as he
thought, told the story of the escape
after his capture, and he did the
same thing Tuesday afternoon. He
admitted that he plotted the jail
break and had been figuring on 1t
for several days. The idea struck
him to make threats against Purnell,
whom he knew had access to the
anti-room where the firearms were
kept, when he went into it to clean
it. He told Purnell of his plan and
then demanded him at the first OPP
portunity to smuggle the pistols into
him. He told Purnell it would be too
bad for him if he didn't do what he
was told.
Deshields admitted that he had
plotted with Lucas to make the es-
cape and that threats had been made
to Purnell. Purnell was afraid to
say anything to Warden Smith or
any of the guards for fear that Lu-
cas- might hurt him and probably
kill him.
In an interview with the Levy
Court Commissioners upon their re-
turn from the investigation Tuesday
afternoon, they stated that all OF the
guards were to be complimented for
the fine piece of work they did in
preventing a general Jail delivery
and that no blame was attached to
any of them. They said that instead
of the locker now being used Tor
firearms that a safe would be in
stalled within a short time. Less
freedom is to be given prisoners who
could be considered trustworthy, es-
pecially in the anti-rooms. This work
will be taken care of by employees.
BY so doing there will be no way
whereby any prisoner could gain ac-
cess to pistols and guns. II was
pointed out that it is hard matter
for anyone to smuggle firearms into /
them as usually a guard Is nearby
when the prisoners have visitors.
Luther Tingle, serving a sentence ,
for larceny, came in for high praise /
at the hands of the Levy Court Com /
missioners and prison officials for
the part he played in driving them
away from the main door to the kit
chen portion of the building when he
grabbed a shotgun and started firing
through the door. Tingle is good
worker about the farm, is very trust
worthy and fond of Warden Smith.
The only trouble with him, 1t is said,
he is too fond of chicken and has but
little compunction bagging one when
he sees it roosting up a tree or can
gain access to a poultry house.
officials state that they would like
to see Tingle pardoned for the brave
part he played. He probably did
more than any other to block the I
escape of the three men as well as
scores of others. I
Mr.. Bishop, president of the Levy
Court, stated Tuesday afternoon that /
he believed that Tingle would be a :
valuable man about the farm after :
the expiration of his sentence this 9
fall. He may be offered a job as a !
farm hand later on. 9
AS a further precaution, it is like
" that one or two more guards may 9
be added to the force so that two of :
hem will be on duty at the main Q
entrance and the anti-rooms at meal 9
ime. .
Most of the time from early spring
Until harvest time, many of the pris- .
,ners are working in the fields with Q
wo guards over them. This results
n a lessening of the force within .
he prison. If additional guards are =