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ONE PRISONER • ESCAPES AND ANOTHER SHOTSheriff’s Son Runs from Jail to City Hall For Help.THAXTON WAS BADLY INJUREDCoroner’s Jury Exoner-es Officer Freese of Death.To protect the name of Williamson county and prevent an attempted wholesale delivery, Sheriff Thaxton battled with 13 prisoners in the jail Sunday evening for nearly t*n minutes while his 12 year old son, palph Thaxton, ran from the jail to the city hall to obtain help. As a result of the light, one prisoner, George Wilson, 18, is dead; one prisoner, Dent Hinkle, 25, is at liberty and Sheriff Thaxton is badly bruised and has n severe gash in the top of his head.The sheritf believes that about eight of the 13 prisoners in the runway took an active part inthu fight which was started by Wilson and Hinkle. Wilson, the dead man, gtruftkthe first blow.f .1At 6:30 p. in. the sheriff entered the runway to lock the men in tiieix’ cells. He unlocked the door of the north ceJl room uuwnstairs and a colored helper, named Sain, went in first followed by haiph Thaxton, J:_ year old son of Sheriff and* Mr-?. Thaxton, a pupil in the titli grade atLogan school. The colored manrhad no /more than entered the corridor when he was taken around to the iar side of the runway and held by the prisoners there. He was scared amilife to protect the rights of the county.Tie Chokes Sheriff.Thaxton wore a rour in hand silk tie and the prisoners by pulling on ii had nearly choked him todeath. This tie had to be cut off, it was pulled so tightly.Wilson and Ilinkle had both b#en in jail about three weeks. George Wilson, was IN years of age and win n put in jail gave Chicago as his home jle was charged with having raped a girl at Carterville. He was a member of a magazine soliciting crew and took advantage of the girl, when he found her at home alone. He was the first and the last to hit the sheriff and was I he ringleader of the tight. His body was taken to the Casn Undertaking parlor pending word from Chicago. ,Charged With Forgery.Dent Hinkle, who escaped, was 2.r or 30 years of age and hAd lived at Harrisburg. He was charged withdid not offer any resistance, it is forgery and had been in jail before.said. Hinkle and Wilson w.we stai;d-ins against the wall by the door. Hinkle covered young Thaxton with ar, automatic and at the samo time Wijson struck the sheriff with his fist, 1ifBoy Showed Nerve.The Thaxton boy, showed that t r possessed the sapie calibre ol nerv* that lias made his father the beslt; sheriff Williamson county ever hud. He jumped past Hinkle and nis fatner and ran out the front door of the Jail for the city hall.* S' #. %When the boy reached the city hall he found Officer 'tom Freese and W. T. Harris talking with Bert Scobey and Charles Koberts. Nearly breath less the boy gasped, “They are trying tv kill my daddy.” Freese recognized the boy and was first out of the room, followed quickly by the others, lie rushed to the Jail as fast as possible.Fight More Violent.in the meantime the fight at the jail was getting more violent but the sheriff was showing his fitrength. He repulsed nearly every attack. Wilson and Hinkle led the assault, .but the others fought also. In some unknown manner Hinkle had obtained a revolver, which he flourished, but lt;lid not fire and which probably was 1101 loaded. He used the revolver a? knucks lunvever and got in one so vere blow on the sheriff’s left arm and finally.got an unusually hard blow on the head of the sheriff when he was being held by some of the others. This blow caused Thaxton to give way slightly and Hinkle went over his body and quickly fled to safety in some unknowa part of the city.Freese Shoots Wilson.Thaxton quickly revived, however end repulsed the others and had just knocked Wilson back again when Officer Freese arrived. Thaxton’s was a mass of blood then and his stre'Tigfh was ebbing becauir^ of the unequal light he had waged. As Wilson came back for more, Freese shot him thru the neck and he died instantly.- The others, then cowered, wenrro their cells. MediCaJ aid was obtained for the sheriff and his wcuuus dressed. -Sheriff Was Unarmed.Melvin Thaxton has been the sheriff and jailer for three years and will soon complete his term in office. He always carried his revolver when he went to this runway* but Sunday evening did not take it for the first time. During the fight Wilson, tli^ dead man took his keys from him, but the sheriff regained them before help had arrived. It was due to Thaxton’s calmness and splendid man agement that there was no riot in Marion at the time of the arrest of DeSantis and Bianco for the West Frankfort murders and during the entire thai these men were in jail here lie never flinched and always handled the men without* handcuffs. He has never been afraid to do his duty and always has looked out. for“He was about 5 feet 10 inches in height, dafrk hair, rather sallow faced, smooth shaven and wore a brown suit when he left. I( is believed that he was injured by the blows from Thaxton’s fists, but not seriously, lit* had an automatic pistol, but il is not known how he obtained it.Exonerate Officer.Immediately after I lie death of Wilson, Coroner William MeOown was called and he summoned a jury composed of G.W. Bond, foreman, j. M. Youn, clerk and F. S. Morrison, Charles E. Gowan, Cline V. Cunningham and Jeff St. John. They heard the evidence aiid returned the following verdict: “T^iar George Wilson came to his death by a gun shot, wound by the hand of J.. T. Frees* and we further find that il was justified homicide in the defense of Sheri If Melvin Thaxton and that the said J. T. Freeze be entirely exonerated and not held lo the action of the grand jury.”James Sw'ain, tin* seconfl officer to Sheriff Thaxton’s rescue, the sheriff and his son were among those to testify and all of tnem testified in ac cordance with the report given above. The inquest was held at the cil.y hall.Officer Man of Nerve.Alt ho Officer Froece, best known as “Uncle Tom” has been a police officer for many years, and has been in many tight places iliis is the lir^t time he has ever had to kill anyone. Several times he has jsvounded a prisoner and on several occasions he has been wounded himself, but never once has lie flinched in a tight place and those who know him best, know that it was absolutely necessary for him to kill Wilson lo protect Thaxton and his own litc or he would not have done so. - ' ’—:--o---4♦♦+♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦WILL BURYWILSON'S BODY HERE.A telephone message was re ceived by Sheriff Thaxton at noon on Tuesday from the mother of George Wilson, wlio Was killed while trying to escape from the county jail on Sunday night, saying that Ker husband would not come for the boy’s body as they were not able to raise funds to take it home and. asked that il be buried here. She said that they were sending $50 to apply on the burial expenses and asked Hiat the body be cared for and that they would remit the balance when {hey were able to do so.The mother expressed sorrow at the death of her son and said that they had always asked him to keep out of had company and to remain at home with them. She express-her hope that the injuries to Mr. Thaxton might not be serious.the interests of the county first, even Jtiow taking the chance of loeing his j t i ♦ -f 4 4 t- f ♦♦♦♦♦♦f♦♦4♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦+♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦f4♦♦♦■
Newspaper Details
Marion Semi Weekly Leader
Marion, Illinois, US
Fri, Mar 31, 1922
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Janice R.
GA, USA 01 Feb 2020
Other Publications Near Marion, Illinois
Marion Independent
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Marion Egyptian Press
Marion Daily Republican
Marion Evening Post
