3
I, I
I I
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!
V
'
.
WARDEN SHOT DOWN
D-.-UTY WAGNER AND GUIDE
HEILMAN KILLED.
THREE CONVICTS MAKE ESCAPE
Explosives Used to Open Prison Gates
Mutineers Escape After Des
perate Slaughter Storm
Prevonta Pursuit.
The men who died and men wounded
at their posts of duty.
WARDKN JAML'S DKLAIH'NTY.
DFIM'TY WARDKN HKXRY WAG
KKR. 1'SHKIt K, G. IIKILMAX.
The woiiiult'tl:
Thomas J. Doody.
Warden .tamos Dolnhuiity. Deputy
Warden llonry Wagner and Usher K.
O. Hollnian arc dead, and Thomas .!.
Doody, west coll house keeper. Is badly
wounded as tho result of u battle with
WARDEN JAMES DELAHUNTY
Who Was Killed by Escaped Convicts.
thrco convicts at tho state peniten
tiary at 2:15 Thursday afternoon, and
tho three convicts who committed the
murders blew tho lock off of one door
and made their escape.
All of the men killed died at their
posts of duty and fought tn tho end
In an attempt to prevent tho escape
of tho convicts. Deputy Warden
Wagner was tho first killed, being
shot as he stood in his ollice. Mr.
Hellman, tho second man killed, was
bit as he rushed out of tho warden's
oiiico at tho llrst report of tho shots.
Warden Dclahunty was killed in tho
door of his ollice after llring three
ahots at tho onrushlng men. lie was
struck llrst in tho right hip, but con
tinued to light until a second shot
struck him in tho right breast, when
ho sank to the lloor and soon expired.
Thomas J. Doody, tho wounded
nun, bus good chances of recovory,
though it is possible that lie may loso
bis leg. He wus shot twice, in tho
left arm and right leg, during ttio
first part of tho attack when tho three
men concentrated their shotB on him
while in tho chapel room of tho
prison.
Tho men who escaped aro Charles
Taylor, alias Shorty Gray, alias
Murray, alias Rogers, who is a three
termer, leader of n gang of bank
robbers and was sentenced from
Aurora to twenty-eight years' im
prisonment for robbing a bank at
Giltncr; John Dowd, recently sen
tenced from Cass county to twenty
years for burglary with high explo
sives, having robbed a jewelry store at
Loulsvillo, Neb.; and Charles Morloy,
sentenced from Omaha to fifteen years
for highway robbery.
Immediately after the escape of the
prisoners tho governor's oflico was
notified and Sheriff Hyers with a
Posbo and most of tho Lincoln police
force rushed to tho scene. Later com
pany F, Second regiment, of tho na
tional guard arrived.
Sheriff Hyers took charge of the
prisoners upon his arrival and after
swearing in deputios and arming
them, stationed armed men at the
doors to guard whllo tho prisoners
were marched to their cells. Tho
sheriff, accompanied by ono deputy
and ono gunrd, all unarmed for fear of
being overpowered and losing their
weapons, then entered tho prison ynrd
and ono by ono tho shops wero
emptied and tho prisoners marched to
tho coll hotiBo and locked in their
cells.
Wlioro Convicts Taylor, Down and
Morloy secured their weapons, ammu
nition mid explosives is unknown, but
tho general supposition among tho
guards Is that" they wero smuggled in
on the "underground" routo by trus
ties from pals of Gray and Down on
tho outsldo. All thrco were fully
armed and plentifully supplied with
ammunition. Although no one knows
how many revolvers tho men had, it
is prohablo that from tho number of
shots llred by them thoy wero sup
plied with two each.
Turnkey Claii3 l'ahl was unarmed
when ho hoard tho shots. Hushing to
grab ills revolver ho returned to tho
window between his room nnd tho
chapel. Thcro ho wns covered by one
man, who shot as l'ahl dodged and ran
to tho door, whero ho was again cov
ered, and forced to hug tho wall for
protection. Tho explosion then fol
lowed nnd tho three rushed in and
forced tho turnkey Into a corner, where
they struck him. Taking his keys they
ran to tho only locked door between
them and liberty.
Tho attack tnado was cldently well
planned. Thoy crossed tho yard with
in tho walls and there was nothing in
their attitude to warn tho guards that
they meant trouble. As each neared
tho chapel guard, stationed in tho bal
cony nbovo tho south door of tho
chapel, ho raised his hand the rec
ognized signal of a prisoner on peace
ful errand. Filtering tho chapel, the
men covered tho negro trusty, Thomas,
who stood with his hands raised dur
ing tho encounter. Ono convict then
went to the ollice of Deputy Warden
Wagner and shot him twice in tho ab
domen. Hellman. on hearing the shooting,
rushed from tho warden's ollico and
looked through the doors toward the
chapel, He was struck In the left side
below tho heart by two bullets, and
staggered hack to tho ollice, whore he
was assisted to a chair by Bookkeeper
T. J. Ward. Warden Dclahunty had
rushed to the door of his ollice and
opened lire on the onrushlng men.
Three shots were llred by him, none
taking effect. He was struck In tho
hip, but continued to lire until an
other bullet pierced his breast, when
he fell and almost immediately expired.
Rewards Offered.
State rewards aggregating $2 100
wero offered Friday morning for tho
capture of tho convict murderers, dead
or alive.
Tho state law limits the reward to
- I Xp
DIAGRAM OF SCENE OF BATTLE.
Ground floor of Hie state penitentiary, showing chapel, turnkey's room, cor
ridor mid citiicc.s in which tue ninu iook
A WIipii' IVnutv Warden wns ltlllod.
11 Cum nl Diuily during tho fusillade.
C Convict iiay.
I (-ouvlct Pnwd.
13 Convict Motley.
K C.iK' dour Mown open by convicts.
U Turnkey Paid during fusillade.
$200 for the crlmo oMnurder, but tho
board of public lands and buildings
held u meeting and decided to ask tho
' governor to offer $200 for each of tho
' threo men killed.
This he did later in a special proc
lamation. Fach of tho trio of cs-
; caped desperadoes is held responsible
for killing all threo of tho prison of-
I llclals. The reward on this account,
' therefore, will aggregato $C00 for any
I ono of tho murderers, or $1,800 for
I all of them.
I Tho Btato law also permits tho war
den of tho ponitentlary to offer a re
ward of $100 for tho return of an
escaped convict. It. W. Hyers, as
noting warden, has announced this re
ward, upon n suggestion from tho
board of public lands and buildings.
The Woman In the Case.
A most interesting development la
tho discovery that Mrs. Mny Wood
worth of Kansas City, friend of
"Shorty" Gray, as Charles Taylor was
known when he was the leader of tho
most desperate band of bank robbers
V,'f,p" "V7 ST -yTi
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NCDNfldKN
Sr7l2) :
ITVITENTIflRY.
CHARLES TAYLOR
that infested tho middlo west, was In
Lincoln during tho past week.
Mrs. Wood worth, who called herself
Drown whllo in Lincoln, weut to tho
ponitentlary to see Taylor last Sun
day. It la said that she was refused
permission to visit him. Somo time
Wednesday she received a message, aa
a result of which sho told Mrs. Parks
that she had to go home.
l.
Feed Men In Cells.
Attorney B. J. Maggt arrived nt the
prison soon after the affair bocamo
public. Ho talked with the governor
and was plncod by him In charge of
tho kitchen. At first it had been do
elded to allow tho convicts to go un
fod that evening, ns it was thought
to he unsafe to allow them to leavo
tho colls Mnggl finally secured ar
rangements for feeding tho men In tho
cells, tho only ones to eat at tho tables
being tho help on tho farm and in tho
kitchen, a number of tho olllcors at
tho prison and tho guards.
May Break Up "Trusty" System.
The material used In blowing up ths
door, whether dynamite, nltroglycer-
i ine or fulminating caps, and tho ro
, volvers wero smuggled into tho prison
from tho outsldo by trusties, accord
ing to tho statement of the prison of
ficials. It Is possible tho outbreak
may result In the abolition of tho
"trusty" system, nt least to tho ox
tent of stopping all communication
with tho outside world.
When the llrst news of tho nffalr
reached Lincoln it was rumored that
from one to thirteen men had been
killed, that 200 men had escaped, and
a general mutiny had occurred, and
other alarming features were added,
Many of the olllcors who hastened to
the scene went under the impression
that they might encounter an entire
prison In arms.
Are All Desperate Men.
Convicts Taylor. Dowd and Morley
were considered among the most des
perate men conllned In the prison. All
had served previous sentences. Con
vict Charles Taylor, probably the
leader of the desperate attempt to
escape, Is considered as one of tho
most dangerous criminals operating
pinco.
II Where tinnkrv beaten mid robbed.
J Door k'adlnp; Into corridor.
K Wlu-ru Warden Pclahiiiity was killed.
1. North door of penitentiary.
M South door of pilson.
N" HoMtruin In tho pilson chapel.
O West cell house.
in tho middlo west. Ho Is better
known under tho namo of "Shorty"
Gray and had other aliases of Murray
and Rogers. Gray was received at
tho penitentiary August 22, 1911, from
Aurora, on a twenty-elght-ycar sen
tence for blowing tho bank at Glltner
last summer. Ho is about forty-four
years of age, five feot four Inches In
msmsm
5 5r6f9h
penitenMiik
CHARLE3 MORLEY
height and weighed 135 pounds. Ho
was of light comploxion, had brown
hair and blue oyes.
Taylor, in company with Harry
Forbes and John Martin, was arrestod
on an Island in tho Platto river a
few days following tho Glltner bank
robbery. Tho men at tho tlmo wero
unarmed and hnd no money with them,
but tho sheriff's posso traced them
from tho robbery to tho scene whero
thoy wero captured
Thoy wore conllned In tho Aurora
Jail, hut after arraignment wero
brought to tho stato penitentiary to bo
held for safe hooping until tho trial.
In August thoy wero sentenced by
Judgo Cochran to twenty-eight years.
Knowing that tho threo wero danger
ous, all possible precautions wore
taken by tho olllcors in bringing them
to and from tho ponitentlary.
Taylor has served provlous sen
tences at tho Nebraska, Minnesota and
Iowa stnto prisons,
John Dowd, tho second of tho trio,
is a bank robber from Cass county.
Ho was recolved at tho penitentiary
tho 3d of last montl on an Indeter
minate sentenco of from twenty years
to life. He Is six feot and ono-eighth
yf -ii W.iS)
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of an inch In height, weighs IG'i
pounds, is of light complexion and has
light brown hairs and brown eyes.
Dowd gnvo his homo as Aberdeen, S.
D whero ho has brothers and sisters
now living, Ills parents aro dead, lis
Is twenty-llvo yours of age.
Dowd Is thought lo be ono of a gang
of bank robbeis operating over tho
stnte. with heaihiuarlers at Omaha. Ho
was arrested in Omaha last fall and
was arraigned on tho charge of blow
ing the safe of a Jewelry store at Urn
lbville, Neb. The ntght previous to
the loulsvlllo lohhery, bank robbers
made an unsuccessful attempt to blow
the bank safe at Wabash. It was
thought that Dowd was one of the
inon Implicated In this robbery. Tay
lor and Dowd were cell mates at tho
prison and no doubt tho plan to es
cape was worked out by them and
Morley, who was later taken Into tho
scheme.
Charles Morley, the third one In the
trio, was sent to the penitentiary De
cember II, UM (i, lioin Omaha on a
fifteen year sentence for highway rob
bery. Ho has served a pi e ions sen
tence at tho Missouri penitentiary.
Morloy Is between thlrlj live and
forty years of age, Is live feet eleven
and one-fourth inches in height,
'vlpgJ
E. G. HEILMAN
Veteran Usher Who Was Shot Down
by the Mutineers.
weighs US pounds, of medium light
complexion and has black hair ani
eyes. Morloy's homo 1b in Kansas
City, where ho has a wife now living
at OHO Holmes avenue. He lias other
relatives living at Knoxvllio, Mo.
Well Armed With Modern Guns.
Tho superior marksmanship of the
convicts over that of the olllclals is
due, according to somo at tho prison,
to tho kind of guns tho men had. At
least ouo of tho prisoners, thought to
havo been Dowd, wus equipped with
tho latest type of automatic pistol,
and it was bullets from this gun that
probably killed Wagner and wounded
Doody in tho log. Much of tho shoot
ing by tho convicts was done by
Dowd, it Is said.
Tho prison olllclals wero equipped
with short old-fashioned "bull dog"
rovolvers, whllo Gray, tho second of
tbo convicts and probably the leader,
had a long singlo loading high pow
ered target gun, whlcli ho used with
deadly effect. Morley Is said by somo
of tho men who came out of the fray
alive to have been equipped with two
guns.
Alleged "Finds" During Search.
Twenty knives and a completo kit
of burglar tools aro reported to have
been found in tho cells of prisoners at
tho penitentiary, when militiamen,
assisted by tho prison guards, con
ducted a thorough search of every
convict's cell. Although tho discov
ery was denied by Adjutant Genoral
Phelps, It Ib a matter of common gos
sip among tho guards who conducted
the search.
All Quiet Saturday.
With a hundred militiamen, carrying
guns loaded and bayoneted, on the
s"ir?w.xes
r' NEBRASR
s - - -. ... W Vi
A
JOHN DOWD
walls, In tho corridors and In tho coll
houses, all was qulot at tho prison
Saturday morning. All prisoners wero
kept In tho cells and oven trusties
wero not allowed to bo about. Guards
men paraded In front of all entrances
leading to tho prison, marched contin
ually over tho walls and lounged in
numbers In front of tho cells In the
coll rooms.
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HOT CN THE I
SEEN GOING THROUGH SOUTH
DEND ON HAND CAR.
SHERIFF GOES ON SPECIAL TRAIN
Convicts Urcnk Into Murdock Stores
Get Guns, Ammunition and
Clothes Tako Hand Car
at Prairie Home.
Lincoln. .lust before daylight Mon
day morning the three escaped con
victs were seen going thioiigh South
Keud on a hand ear that they had
stolen from the section house at
Prairie Home some time during the
night.
On the way between South lleiul
thoy had stopped nt .Murdock and
hioken into a haidwaie store and a
general store, securing an out lit. of
clothing and a stock of ammunition.
Ft out the hardware store of I -oil Is
Maxwell til Mm dock, Neb, thoy se
cured one shotgun, one reoier, a
nuiuber of kuhes and a large amount
of auimuuilloii. From tho general
stoio they secured overalls, shoes,
overshoes and blue caps.
It Is thought that the men, who aro
now well stocked with guns and clo
thing for a known fact and have prob
ably also secured food at some lnrm
house, are making a sortie for tho
Immediate vicinity or tho I'latto river,
Intending to make a stand somewhere
near there, If caught, or preferrably
to loso thomsehes in somo of the wild
country surrounding thu river at
points. i
Strong posses led by Sheriff Hyers
nnd others left Lincoln on tho trail
of the llcelug handcar as soon as n
special train could be gotten ready.
The loss of tho baud car at I'ralrlo
Homo and tho robbery of the stores
nt Murdock wero not discovered un
til morning. Then the authorities at
Murdock telegraphed along tho lino
ami found that a hand car bearing
threo men had been seen going
through South llond Just before day
light. The men wero seen In tho stores nt
Murdock last, night by Postmaster
Davis, who thought that thoy wero
the proprietors.
The convicts did not seem anxious
to secure money. They took $:i.i',r
that they found lying In the cash
drawer at tlto Maxwell hardware
Btoro.
Tho robbery was not reported un
til Monday morning, ns Postmaster
Davia did not know that thcro had
been any robbery.
Prairlo Homo Is twelvo miles enst
of Lincoln on tho Rock Island tracks.
Murdock Is about tlfteen mllcB enst of
Prairlo Home. South Bond Ib about
live miles on from Murdock,
With tho convicts only n few hours
out of Bight tho officers feel cortnln
thnt tho end of tho long chnso Is now
close. A special train can reach South
Uend In short order. Then It Is only
a question of getting out nnd picking
up n warm trail, somothing thoy havo
not had slnco tho escapo of tho threo
men.
Rcatrlco. A wild rumor about 9
o'clock called out Sheriff Shlck of
Gago county to a farm houso two
miles southeast of Cortland. A boy
nnmed Papka had entered n barn on
his fnther'B farm with the Intention of
feeding tho horses. Ho discovered
two men In tho barn, nnd immediately
gavo tho alarm. A posso of about
Bixty farmers wero quickly organized
nnd under tho leadership of Sheriff
Shick tho placo was Bearched. Tho
men wero found, but they Identified
themselves ns tramps and wero re
leased. Mellck New Warden.
S. M. Mellck of Lincoln has been
named by Governor Aldrlch as tho
now warden of tho Nebraska peniten
tiary, to succeed James Dclahunty,
killed in tho convicts' outbreak last,
Thursday. Governor Aldrlch has been
considering this selection since Sat
urday. Ho tendered Mellck tho ap
pointment Monday forenoon.
Omaha, Neb. Victor Rosewater of
Omaha is now acting chairman of tho
republican national committee, suc
ceeding to the position on the death
of Chairman Hill. Rosewater has
been vice-chairman, being elected In
January. Nebraska can now claim
both tho chalrmun nnd secrotnry of
tho committee, an unusual honor for
a western state. William Hay ward of
New York, formerly of Nebraska, Is
socrotary. Rosowator will net as
chairman and call tho committco to
gether In Chicago before tho national
convention meets.
About HO per cent of tho inemhors
or congress are frankly hedging on
tho very live question of tho parcols
post.
Railway Commissioner Wlnnett
spent Boveral days at l.oxington,
whero ho took testimony In a com
plaint brought by citizens of the place
agali st thu Union Pacific railroad. It
don't with tho practice of stopping
trains on the second track from tho
depot and compelling passengers to
got off on the far side. This was al
leged to ho a discrimination against
Lexington, inasmuch as the company
allows people to dismount on tho near
bide or between tho trucks, at Colum
bus, Grand Island, Fremont and elsewhere.
HAVE THE FIRST DEFINITE CLUE
t
TRACED FROM PEN TO A POINT
IN LINCOLN.
Rode Through Storm In Milk Wagon
Chief of Pqllco Hunger Has
Narrow Escape All
Track Lost.
Lincoln. Tho llrst dellnito clue in
dicative of tho movements Thursday
evening of the convicts who murdered
Warden Delahuiity and his two assist
ants that afternoon came to light Fri
day evening, when It was made known
that they had boon sheltered at tho
homo of Joseph Hickman, bookkeeper
and dairyman, living at 13701) Van Horn
streets, Thu throe lialf-fru.eu men la
convict garb came to tho house at
about :i::i0 Tliuisilay afternoon, threat
ening Mrs. Dlckmnii and tho hi rod
man and cautioned them not lo mako
mi outcry. They received supper
there and were taken at about 10:30
o'clock to Twentieth and It streets,
whore I hoy were last seen.
When tho storm raged outside, the
threo hunted men remained in thu
Dlekmau home. A telephone call re
ceived at tho penitentiary drew tho
sheriff and a posse, including Sam Me
llck ami City Detective Schmltt to
somo haystacks about two blocks
from the Dlekmau place. Tho Inform-,
nut of the sheriff had seen three men
making toward the stacks. Thu posso
searched the stacks and the immedi
ate vicinity. When tho searchers
were exhausted by their efforts in tho
deep snow, and decided that tho clue
had proved fruitless, thoy debated
whether to proceed to tho Dlckinan
home, whose brilliantly lighted win
dows a quarter of a mile away Invit
ed them, or to go an equal distnnco to
the homo of Itishop Tlheti. It wns lo
elded to go to Tihen's residence, as It!
was known that thcro was n telephone
there and tho olllcors hoped to securo
a train back to town.
Tho posso left at about 9 o'clock. At
10 o'clock tho thrco convicts, tholr
prison garb covered front sight by'
blue overalls commandeered fro inthe
Dlckninns, hidden from sight In ths
Interior of a milk wagon driven by one
of the boys, started for tho city. Be
fore leaving Mrs. Dlekmau was
warned:
"Now. no telephoning or cnlllnir for
help. If you do. tho llrst man who
gets his Is this boy of yours. If you
toll tho police anything about this,
we'll get you." Tho terrified woman
again promised silence.
On tho journey to town the con
victs talked about blowing up tho gov
ernor's mansion, but wero dlssuadod
by tho boy, who Bald that the drifts
wero too doop. Finally tho overloaded
wagon waB Btuck in a drift at Twenty
third and Randolph streets,
Chief Hunger was returning from
tho police station nt about 11 o'clock.
Ho saw tho wagon In tho drift and
glimpsed tho boy driver in front. Ha
asked tho young man if ho ueodod
help.
"Yes," said tho lad, a rovolver
touching his ribs. Ho had boon asked
who tho man approaching them wna
and hnd replied that it was the chlof
of police
"You toll him who wo aro or that
wo'ro hero and you will go first and
Hunger nftcr you," Gray told him.
From tho inner recesses of the milk
wagon the rovolvor of "Shorty" Gray,
from whom Usher Hellman had prob
ably met death earlier in the day,
covered tho chlof. Luckily for him
ho did not seo tho men cowering be
hind the driver's seat Ho seized the
heads of tho horses, lod them past the
worst of tho drift aud then told the
boy thnt by proceeding up the next
alley ho should reach tho paved streets
without encountering any drifts.
Tho convicts with tholr captured
vchlclo took tho course which the of
flcor of tho law had uuknowingly
pointed out to them. Thoy proceeded
to a paved street, drove north through
town and finally reached a lumber
yard near tho corner of Twentieth
and R streets near the Rock Island
tracks. -j
R. W. Hyera Temporary Warden.
Governor Aldrich has appointed ev
Warden It. W. HyerB warden -of the
penitentiary to servo temporarily.
Tho appointment was made by tele
phone by tho governor, who was snow
bound at Auburn. Mr. Hyers is now
doputy state game warden. He waa
warden of tho penitentiary many
years ago and thoroughly understands
the workings of a largo prison.
Steward Robb requested tho gover
nor to relievo him of tho duties of act
ing warden becauso ho has enough
work as Btoward to occupy his entire
tlmo. It Is understood that Mr. Hyers
will remain in chnrgo of tho peniten
tiary only for a short tlmo.
Low Fares to Conventions.
Chlcngo. Fares to tho domocratlo
national convention In Baltimore and
tho republican national convention
hero havo been Jlxed at 2 centB a
mile at a meeting of tho Central Pas.
Keiiger association.
Lincoln Former County Tre.isuror
W.illiam McLaughlin or Lancaster
county died Saturday morning at his
home here, after a long illness which
conllned hint to his bed for the last six
months. Mr. McLaughlin wns 72 years
of ago. He has been a resident of Lin
coln for nearly forty years, and ono of
tho host known residents of Lincoln.
Director General John Barrett of
the Pan-American union av tm
United Slates ennnot bo too careful
in guiding Its ofliclal nnd popular at
litiidu towards Mexico.
)
"-!: K,
