OCR Text |
Show CON VICT KILLS JAILER DESPERATE DEED OF CHRIST BEN80N AT OLYMPIA, WASH. The Sheriff's Wife, With a Pistol In Hand, Plucklly Prevents the Other Prisoners From Escaping. Christ Benson, n grand larceny prls. oner In Jail at Olympla, Wnsh., on Sunday afternoon killed Jailor David Morrell and mado his escape. Benson leftopon tho Inner and outer doon of tho Jail. Mrs. Jcsslo Mills, wlfo ol the sheriff, arrived on tho scone with a revolver In time to present seven prls. onors from gnlnlng their liberty. Benson, Ben-son, who wns a logger, wns accused ol stealing $15 from his partner, pleaded guilty, and about a week ago was son. tenced to ono year's Imprisonment nnJ was in Jnll waiting to bo transported to tho penitentiary. Saturday night, tho steel tank being crowded, Bensoiy who was considered n quiet prisoner wns placed In nn nnto-room off the mnln entrance of tho Jnll. In tho night Benson wrenched looso n pleco of lead drain pipe, nnd concenled It In hit clothing. About 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon Jailer Morrell gave tho pns. oners their midday mcnl In tho main corridor, and then stnrted to lock all hut Benson nnd a trusty named Kahla into tho steel tank. Ho had his back to Benson and whs locking tho door when Benson struck him on tho head. Tho door of the corridor was open and Benson ran out Into tho mnln entrance en-trance with tho Jailor ln pursuit. Bon. son fnllcd to get the outer door open and tho two men clinched In tho mnln entrance. It Is supposed that Morrell drow his revolver and that Benson succeeded In getting It nwny. Thoro was a desperate fight, ln which Morrell Mor-rell was truck on tho head four times with tho pipe, shot In tho body twlco and through tho head onco, and left lying dead on tho floor. Benson got tho outer door open, nnd, covered wltli blood, ran up ono of tho main residence resi-dence streets ot tho town and disappeared disap-peared in tho brush. |