Show A BATTLE WITH CONVICT Desperate Attempt of California Prisoners to Escape THREE ARE SHOT DEAD A Terrific Encounter Which Lasted for More Than Thirty Minutes The Gang Headed By George Sontnf a Cousin of the Well Known Bandit Galling Guns Winchesters Brought Into Play SAORAMENO Cal June 27A Folsom special received at a late hour this after noon contained the following At 330 this afternoon a gang of convicts employed em-ployed in the upper quarry next to the head gate ot the big dam consisting of George Sontag a life timer and Cousin of John Sontag of Sontag and Evans Russell Williams Ben Wilson and Charley Abbott and a ten year convict named Dalton suddenly seized Frank Jriaro lieutenant of the guard put a pistol to his head and started together to run up the hill Before reaching the top of the hill it was developed that they had two Winchesters and an additional revolver volver which had been concealed among the rocks Up to this time the guards had been unable to shoot As Briare was in the grasp of the wouldbe escapes and as they were closely banded together a shot might mean death to him Just before reaching the summit of the hill Briare jerked away and the guards opened fire from all directions The convicts took to the rocks concealed themselves as best hey could and returned the fire as rapidly as possible The regular deputies were soon rein forced by reserves from the prison and a terrific fight took place which lasted fully half an hour during which time shots were fired indescriminately from Gatling guus Winohesters rifles and revolvers as rapidly as the triggers could be pulled At the end of about thirty minutes one of the convicts held up his hat on a rifle as a token of surrender and Warden Aull Captain Murphy and a few guards advanced ad-vanced to the convicts stronghold where they found Williams Wilson and Dalton stretched dead on the ground George Sontag was badly wounded by three or four bullets he had one bad shot through ho body and two through the thigh and Abbott was groaning with a broken leg At the beginning of the fight two prisoners pris-oners were wounded but were immediately immedi-ately carried into the prison by the other convicts and at the time the news was sent it was not known who they were None of the prisoners escaped nor > were any of the guards injured in the scrimmage scrim-mage Warden Aull speaks in the highest terms of the bravery displayed by the guards saying that they all stood up man fully not one showing the white feather |