Evening star., 1943-04-16
d Georgia Convicts
0verpower Guards,
Flee in Stolen Cars
Prisoners Seize Keys,
Pull Switch and PLUNGE
Jail in Darkness
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
REIDSVILLE, Ga, April 16.-
Led by two notorious Georgia
escape artists, % prisoners, de-
scribed by the warden as "the
worst we got" escaped from
Tattnall State Prison early today
after overpowering three un-
armed guards.
Warden H. R. Duvall said three OF
the prisoners jumped on Guards B.
G.. Morrison, w. E. Overstreet and
N. M. Spivey, locked them in q cell,
took the prison keys and unlocked
the front ga.
After taking the guards keys, they
dismantled the prison telephone
switchboard and pulled switch
which plunged the prison into dark
ness.
Prison Vehicles Stolen.
They stole two prison trucks and
car belonging to Mr.. Morrison and
fled. The alarm was given a short
time later, the warden said, when
a prisoner, who the warden be-
lieved may have been forced to leave
the prison, appeared at the sheriff's S
Office in Reidsville and surrendered.
The others abandoned Mr.. Morri-
sons car near Coggstown, IA miles
northeast of Reidsville, and re-
sumed their flight in another stolen
car and the two trucks.
Recapture of two of the prisoners
was reported by Royal K. Mann,
chairman of the State Prison Board.
He said a posse ran down one near
Lyons and captured another near
Vidalia after a State truck in which
some of the convicts were fleeing
overturned.
Three Named Ring Leaders.
The break was led, Warden Du-
vail said, by Forrest Turner, 80, who
has escaped from Georgia prisons so
many times that the records are
confusing, and Leland Harvey, "a,
who has escaped at least six times,
and D. c. Black, 81. These three
overpowered the guards, the warden
added.
Turner was serving long terms for
larceny, robbery and kidnapping.
Harvey was serving a three-to-fve-
year term and an 8-to-10-year term
for larceny aand robbery, respective
ly. Black was doing 5-to-1O-
year term for burglary.
In October, 1941, Turner and an
other prisoner kidnapped guard and
State highway inspector and lib
Grated 43 convicNs after a gun bat
tie with guards at a prison camp in
Harris County.
He meekly surrendered near Moul-
trie the next day to a posse after a
wild automobile chase.
Fled Little Alcatraz."
Two months before Turner had
escaped from the States little Al
catraz prison at Dallas, Ga.
The youthful Turner made a get
away from Tattnall Prison in No.
vember, 1899, and two months later
was forced from a cabin near Au-
gusta, Ga, by a tear gas barrage
and recaptured. A quantity of guns,
ammunition and explosives were
found in the cabin.
A few weeks before the November
break he pleaded guilty to a charge
of robbery by force in a previous
escape from the same prison. With
four companions, Turner overpow-
cred a guard, seized an automobile
and later kidnapped a Savannah man
and forced him to accompany the
party in flight.
In another prison break, Turner
and a companion escaped by wound
ing a warden, R. w. Mcmillan of
Thomas County. who was taking
them from Atlanta to a prison camp.
Harvey, "a. last escaped from
Tattnall in 1912. His record al
ready had included at least five
breaks and numerous attempts. His
prison records date back to 1928,
when he was given sentences total
ing ITO years for robbery and other
crimes.