Evening star., 1952-05-14
; Hostages Released, ,
Two Of 4 Escaping
|Convicts Recaptured
BY the Assoeiased Press

| BY the Assoeia,sd Press
ANGLETON. Tex, May IA
Two of four escaped convicts were
recaptured before dawn today
after releasing three hostages un.
harmed.
The hostages were the seconc
group to be forced to accompany
the fugitives since their escape
last night. They included q
mother and daughter who report.
ed they were not mistreated dur.
ing nightmare of running CUR
battles with peace officers and ar
attempt by the convicts to stea.
an airplane.
One of the convicts is an air.
plane pilot.
Those retaken were John E
WEIGH, "a. serving a life sentence
from Reeves County for murder
and Russell H. Pulliam. 81, serv-
ing a robbery by assault sentence
from San Antonio.
Hostages Voluntarily Released.
Deputy Sheriff M. v. Grain saic
the fugitives released their hos
tages voluntarily in Angletor
early this morning. The hostages
were Mrs. leila Sproles, 30. hel
daughter. Clara 10. 6, and A. c
Searcy, IS, all of Angleton.
WEIGH and Pulliam escaped
from Ramsey State prison farm
last night along with Robert
Arthur Chick, 80, an airplane pi-
Hot serving rs years for robbery
and George Theodorou, serving Il
years for robbery.
Mr.. Grain said Welch was taken
of freight train at nearby Liv-
Ierpool by officers who had stopped
1.-THE train to search it. Pulliam
he said. was captured after over
turning a pickup truck near Alvin
Tex.
Forced Way Into Truck.
The deputy said Pulliam and
Theodorou had stopped Henry
Crossing, a farmer, and forced
their way into his pickup truck
and made Mr.. Crossing accom-
ipany them.
None of the three was injured
when the pickup overturned, the
deputy said.
Mr.. Grain said the four convicts
and their hostages had gone
learlier to Velasco where an un-
successful attempt to steal an air.
plane was made. At that time
Chick was with them.
The convicts pulled a small air.
plane from it's hangar and up to
a gasoline pump. They broke the
small glass window in the fuel
pump in an attempt to get the
pumping mechanism to work but
failed and fed. Chick then left
his companions.
The armed fugitives stole q
pickup truck at the prison farm
They abandoned it and stole a
passenger car in Angleton, a few
minutes before midnight they
abandoned that car and stole an
other in Velasco.
Took Other Hostages.
AS they made their break, they
took Assistant Warden o. O.
Stewart. Alfred Minner, tractor
supervisor for the farm and his
wife and son. These four were
released unharmed.
A woman taxi driver, Rose Van
dorm. saw the convicts force Mrs.
lSproles into their car.
Get in and you won't be hurt" "
one of the men said to Mrs.
Sproles.
Warden c. L. McAdams said
three of the men threatened an
assistant steward. Robert A. Bryor
with a knife about 8:45 pm, took
his clothing and locked him and
a dozen inmates in a meat vault
Finding a guard, the men took
his clothes, sent a messenger for
Mr.. Stewart, who was with a group
of prisoners watching a movie
When Mr.. Stewart appeared, they
took his keys and unlocked Chick s
cell.
All four procured guards cloth
ing, took Mr.. Stewart and went to
Mr.. MINERS home nearby. The
first four hostages were herded
into Mr.. MINERS pickup.