Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1941-02-14

der. The case caused considerable in
tereSt as both parties were well known,
one favorably and the other unfavor-
ably. Though the case was fought very
stubbornly by some relatives of Rocks,
he was found guilty of murder in the
first degree and sentenced on March
| Is, 1905, to serve SO years in the state
prison at Deer Lodge.
At the prison he proved to be a
troublesome inmate. He was sullen and
disobedient and put in good many
days in the dungeon for breaking rules.
He was disliked by all the guards and
by majority Of the prisoners. All the
time he was there he was planning to
escape. In some mysterious way he
gained the confidence Of three OF his
fellow prisoners, one named Hayes.
who was finishing a l0-year term: one
named Stevens, also a l0-year man.
so years for holding up the mail train
at Bearmouth. The four contrived to
! form a plan of escape which resulted In
the murder Of the deputy warden and
the hanging Of Rock and Hayes. They
did their planning so well that not one
of the guards had any suspicion that
anything of the kind was afoot.
In some way which was never found
out, they had managed to get hold OF
. D.
would ever tell where or how they had
been secured, and their plan was to
manage to break rules so all four
would be brought before the warden,
Frank Conley, ON the same morning
and when brought into the waiting
room, two were to overpower the guard
and kill him and two do the same for
the warden. get the keys to the gates
and make their getaway. They seemed
20 90 tIn TO- ~ hot y,
wall was guarded by two men who
were armed each with a 30-40 VIM
chester rifle, 10-bore shotgun. and a
Colts As revolver. The morning OF
March 10, 1908. the four had managed
to be brought before the warden for
infraction OF rules, and. curious thing,
they were the only ones to be heard
that morning. 1t was the custom at the
prison to bring all who were reported
into the waiting room together, and
from there to the office or court, one
at time.
Cut and Stab Guard
John Robinson. the deputy warden
was the Inflated guard who brought
them in this time, and by some freak
of fate, contrary to the usual way OF
going in behind the prisoners, he went
in first As the last one came in, he
threw the door. which had a spring
lock, shut and 1t locked. Rock and
Hayes sprang on Robinson and began
cutting and stabbing him. Stevens and
Young did not seem to be carrying out
their part of the devilish scheme, and
Rock left Hayes to take care Of Rob-
inson, threw open the door to the Of
flee and rushed In, locking the door
with Its spring lock behind him; then
made for the warden, demanding the
keys. The late Frank Conley, who was
at his desk, replied that he had nc
keys to spare and came over the rail-
ing that surrounded the desk and crap
pied with Rock. who began to stab and
cut viciously. After brief struggle
the warden succeeded in knocking
Rock senseless and opening the door to
the hall threw him out, and then
turned to the waiting room from which
came sounds Of a fierce struggle. As
he turned, the door opened and Robin
son staggered in, followed by Hayes
who was thrusting at him with a
bloody knife. Robinson's head was al