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Show IDAHO WARDEN jeitmoracE BOISE, Dec. 22 0V William E. Gess surrendered today his post as warden of Idaho's state penitentiary peniten-tiary aj the aftermath of a dramatic dra-matic 30-foot suicide leap by triple-killer triple-killer Douglas Van Vlack two weeks ago. Thejtrav-haired former ranchcj: submitted his resignation as warden war-den to Governor Barzilla W. Clark's secretary late yesterday. Two hours later the Idaho supreme su-preme court Issued a peremptory writ of mandate compelling him to turn the penitentiary over to Deputy Warden H. Rex Smith. Attorney General J. W. Tsylor requested the writ December Is. Ten days ago Taylor and Secretary Secre-tary of State Ira H. Masters, two members of the prison board, voted over Governor Clark's objection to oust Gess for asserted laxities that resulted In Vsn Vlack's suicide a few hours before the Tacoma, Wash., man was scheduled to be 1 hanged. Geas had refused to surrender bis 1 post, insisting on a receipt and accounting ac-counting from the board on the grounds he owed it to his bondsmen. Tha board named Sheriff E. F. . Prater of Twin Falls eeunly e warden to succeed Gess, but Prater 1 said he had not decided whether to accept. Gess' resignation yesterday followed fol-lowed a long-distance conversation between the warden's attorney, James F. Ailshls Jr., and Governor Clark. |