Evening star., 1949-02-17
Two Prisoners
Seize Gun and
F|eeFt. Meade
GIs Waiting to Testif,
On Wurzburg Comp
Fire Shots at MPs
Special Dispoteh 10 The Stor

Two prisoners waiting to testify
in the court-ma. 'ial proceedings
here involving alleged cruelty to
American prisoners in Germany,
last night overpowered two prison
guards and fled after firing sew
eral wild shots at military police.
One guard, Pvt. William Ge-
nung. suffered head cuts when
struck by the escaping prisoners.
Another Fort Meade soldier,
Sergt. Walter Morris, was shot
by military police several hours
later when he was mistaken for
one of the fugitives. Army au-
thorities said. Sergt. Morris was
not critically wounded. but was
admitted to the post hospital.
An 11-State alarm was broadcast
for the two escaped men. The
Army warned that both were dan
gerous. Both, it was said. were
serving sentences for crimes COM
mitted while on active service.
They formerly were Army prison.
ers at Wurzburg, Germany. and
had been brought here to testify !.
against officers on trial for mis-
treatment of prisoners at Wurz-
burg.
Both Escaped Previously.
Fort eMade identified the es-
capped men as Donald Nye, 81. of
Syracuse, N. Y. and Robert Nelson,
%, of Rome, Ga. Nye originally
was sentenced to life imprisonment
for stranglnig a German girl while
AWOL in Germany. His sentence
later was reduced to 10 years.
Both Nye and Nelson previously
had escaped from prison, an Army
spokesman said.
Nelson originally was sentenced
to short term for black market
operations. but additional time was
added when he escaped jail on
several previous occasions. His
last previous escape was from the
Federal prison at Atlanta.
The Army gave the following ae-
count of the escape:
At 11:15 last night Nye and
Nelson called Pvt. Genung to their
cell block, telling him their toilet
was clogged. +
When Pvt. Genung walked into
the cell block. the prisoners struck
him across the head and face with
a cane. Pvt. Genung ran out of
the cell block to summon aid, and
the two prisoners followed. u :"
y Take Guards Gun.
Another guard, Pvt. Harry |
Henry, attempted to stop the fee
ing prisoners, but they seized his
pistol and fired four shots at him.
The bullets went wild but enabled
the prisoners to make good their
escape. Neither was dressed for
cold weather.
Fort Meade authorities imme-
diately sounded an alarm and
every one at the post was alerted.
Several hours later a guard near
the medical laboratory thought
he saw a prowier He told Sergt.
Morris, who was in charge of the
labora tory, and also notified mill
tary police headquarters.
Sergt. Morris went into the lab
oratory to investigate and mill
tary police patrol composed of 1t.
j. w. Deaney, Sergt. Arthur Nose
ly and Pvt. Frank Hawkins was
sent to investigate.
The military police looked in the
laboratory window and saw some
one. They ordered him to come
out. Their demand was met with
a blast from the shotgun Sergt. +
Morris was carrying.
Struck i'm Jaw.
Army authorities said Sergt.
Morris apparently mistook the
military police for the escaped
prisoners. After Sergt Norris
fired, the military police fired two
shots, one of which struck Sergt.
Morris in the jaw.
Today, Fort Meade authorities
made plans to use two airplanes
and bloodhounds in the search.
Both prisoners were due to tes-
tify this morning in the court
martial of 1t. Col. Geolge E.
Pinard, who has been accused
with three other officers of "cruel,
unjust and inhuman" treatment
of soldiers at Wurzburg. Their
escape may delay. his trial. Col
Pinard is the third officer to be
tried. The two already tried were
ACQUITTED,