Evening star., 1955-01-17
Hunt ioI s ConvicIs
CenIers sinRicIlnond
Man Held Captive
b II Assseioisd 3 Prsss

lt0W teNAW O
D. II, Assssioisd Press
RICHMOND, Va. Jan. 17-
Police concentrated their search
d the Richmond area today on
word that six escaped convicts
lrom the State renitentiary
aoied up In q building ct . nearby
brickyard over the week end and
held the caretaker captive.
The caretaker, Forrest farrell,
50, colored. told police the six
men indicated they might Try TO
reach washington II they could
pick up q car.
Carried 6 Guns.
He reported the men were
armed with four pistols. ma
chinegHn and q shotgun they
took from him. They remained
It his home ct the Mankin
prickyard, five miles east Of
Richmond. from 2 pm. Saturday
until 4 am. today.
According to the caretaker, the
convicts discussed the escape and
their plans to some extent. He
said he got the impression from
these talks that they might try
10 reach washington.
At one point, Mr.. FARRELL said,
he heard one say to another:
'sYou use the ammunition and
I'll drive the car" He also re-
ported that one Of the convicts
said to another: .sYou should
have kept that truck.
Hid Inside Truck.
All SIX Of the conyicts, include
ing one serving life for murder,
ned the prison here BY secreting
themselves behind . false ply
wood panel IN q prison truck.
The daring escape took place
about II am. Saturday and was
not discovered until an evening
check about 5 pm.
Mr.. JarreIl. who uses two
rooms Of q i6-roon house as
living quarters, reported the
men came provisioned with sar-
dimes and crackers. two pints oi
whisky and q bottle of wine. AL
three bottles empty ~ were
found at the house. Sales stick.
ers on the bottles showed they
were purchased at Store lS7 ir
East Richmond. aleng the route
from the prison to the hideout.
Gov. Stanley meanwhile con.
ferred with Col. Richard w
Copeland on details Of the break
Lost Of Five Spring Grove
Fugitives Recdptured
BALTIMORE. Jan. II R.
The freedom Of two fugitiyes
from Spring Grove State Hos.
pital for the criminal ir1sance
ended yesterday in Baltimore.
Three other men who partici.
pated In an attack on four at
tendants were picked UP Satur.
day night.
Two guards who were knitted
in the break at the Catonsvillt
institution were still on the criti.
cal list at University Hospita'
here.
Car Smashes Into Pole.
James e. SeItz, 26, was taker
yesterday after the stolen Cal
he was driving lip to 90 mile.
per hour smashed into q poll
and he was thrown clear.
Before he was captured. he LEI
police In q Wild automobile chasl
through the side streets Of thu
Brooklyn section Of Baltimore
After the car crashed and Seit;
was thrown out. the car contin.
ued into the opposite trafic Ian,
and finally plunged into q field
Two patrolmen caught Seiti
when he started to run away. III
became VIOLENT Ii an ambulance
and raised so much connmotior
in South Baltimore General Hos.
pital that police had to be callet
to help control him.
Seized at Sisters Home.
The other fugitive. Erwin Rod,
en-. %, was arrested at the homl
Of his sister here.
Roden. who came from Balm,
bridge. Ca. was committed Ii
Spring Grove after he was tries
for murder and found not guilt.
by reason of insanity. He wa
accused Of killing q Baltimor,
organist.
The two attendants listed as Ii
critical condition were william
D. Henderson. %, Of Waynesborc
Va. and James w. Schmidt. n
OF MonteE1ina. Kan. Less scri
ously wounded were attendant
Floyd G. Ericsson. IS. Of Halstead
Kan, and Alfred Tobin. So, D
Baltimore.
The attendants were knife.
with scissors and an ice pick.
Max Fierst. 43, Of Washington
and Arthur King. 26. of Balti
more, were captured Id i parke.
car about 400 yards from th'
building.
A NTH inmate who took par
In the attack but was kncckes
down and didn't flee was Eay
Spriggs. ~. I sex offender.
He and King broke out Of thl
hospital january 8, but wer
caught within ~ hours.
Hospital authorities said the.
had no idea where the men 60
the wenunna.