Evening star., 1939-06-12
-Four Of 6 Convicts
Are Recaptured After
kidnapping Of Warden
Two Other Stir Crozy'
Youths Believed to
Be Surrounded
BY the Associated Press.

iou'"S DeiiSVeu 10
Be Surrounded
By the Associated Press.
BUENA VISTA, Colo, June a.
-Four of six Colorado Reformatory
inmates who kidnapped Warden w.
H. Johnson and held him briefly as
hostage in effecting their escape
were surrounded and captured
shortly after daylight today in
rugged country about 20 miles east.
In escaping yesterday. the in
mates threatened to kill the warden
and said they would resist capture,
but the four submitted meekly.
Cold, hungry and tired from a IS
hour flight, they were huddled
around a campfire in scrub timber
when two officers reached them.
Warden johnson named the quar-
tet as Needham Ferguson, %; Clar-
ence A. Burkett, %, and Eugene
Nebeker, H. all of Denver, and
James Cowan, 10, of Fort Collins.
1--WE believe we have the other
two surrounded In a small area and
we are hopeful they will be captured
soon" Warden johnson said. :,
Led by a stir-mad pair recaptured
after an escape from the reforma-
tory six weeks ago, the gang kid
naped Warden johnson and three
visitors yesterday during a stock
ade softball game. They took Guard
Charles Aicher's rifle and auto
mobile keys, under threat of knitting
the warden.
While 225 inmates watched they
freed State Representative Irving
Grimes, Mrs. Grimes, and her son,
Pat Mooney, Is, and left with the
warden as hostage.
Grimes Gives Account.
Representative Grimes said:
"They grabbed johnson and me
from behind Others held Mrs.
Grimes and Pat by the arms. They
were holding all of us. One of
them was pushing a knife against
the warden.
The warden and I told them
We didn't see what they wanted
with my wife and Pat. So they
let them go, but they kept poking
Walt in the back with the knife.
I managed to talk them into letting
me go, but they took the warden
in the car and got away"
Mr.. Aicher threw his keys from
the guard tower after they fired
rifle bullet near his head.
They informed the warden they
were going to kill him.
Ferguson oroered the car stopped
and forced Mr.. johnson against
fence. AS he leveled the stolen 30
.30-caliber rifle at the wardens heart
James Williams, IT, OF Lawten,
Okla. stepped in front of the
weapon, demanding that the off,
cial's life be spared, because he's
been square"
The group talked a few minutes
and drove off without the warden
when car approached.
Mr.. Johnson said Ferguson and
Williams were "stir-crazy' and had
been trouble makers. He intended
transferring them to the State pen
itentlary at Canon City next week.
The other inmate besides Williams
who IS still at large is Robert Blair,
10, Of Englewood, Colo.
Ammunition Thought Low.
Warden johnson declared Fer
guson and Williams each had only
IL months more time to serve on
grand larceny convictions. Nebeker
and Blair, both charged with aggra-
waited robbery, were serving inde-
terminate terms. Nebeker was SEN
fenced April "a and Blair February
20. Burkett was sentenced in April
for forgery, and Cowan was serving
an lndetermlnate term for burglary.
After leaving the warden the sex
tet abandoned the guards car on a
side road. Officers believed three car
trldges in the rifle were the only am
munltlon the gang had left Warden
Roy Best of the State penitentiary
started men with bloodhounds from
Canon City as soon as the aban-
doned car was found
The area where the gang was be-
ieved hiding contains many metal
mine shafts, affording numerous
natural dugouts.
Warden johnson was picked up a
few minutes after he was freed.
Back at the reformatory he warned
possemen to exercise extreme care.
They're desperate and they won't
hesitate to KILL" the warden said.
I'm lucky to be alive. ("Stir-
crazy" prisoners are ones mentally
unbalanced by confinement0
1T looked like it was my last
ride"