DASH FOR FREEDOM.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1922, Page 3

DASH FOR FREEDOM.

! ON EVE: OF EXECUTION.

‘LUCKY TOM’ O’CONNOR.

NEW YORK, December 14. The entire police force of Chicago, with the assistance of sheriffs posses throughout the surrounding districts of the State of Illinois, are hunting “Lucky Tom” O’Connor, the notorious “two-gun man,” probably tho most desperate criminal in the United States Yesterday he fought his way out of Littlerock Penitentiary on the eve of the day planned for his execution for the murdetr of a policeman, and disappeared in a motor-car with the panicstricken man and woman from whom he had commandeered it by threatening them with a revolver. So reckless is O’Connor that the chief of the Chicago police ha# warned his men not to attempt to take him alive. “Shoot on sight and shoot to kill” is tho wording of an order he is reported to haye issued!. “The only way to get rid of murderers like O’Connor is to put them in the morgue. I will suspend any man who tries to take him alive.” SMUGGLED revolver.

O’Connor’s escape was a most daring feat. He was at exercise with 50 other criminals yesterday morning under the supervision of a single guard. One of his friends attracted the guard’s attention whereupon O’Connor sprang on the guard, seized his keys by flourishing a revolver which been smuggled to him from outside, and heat the man insensible. Two other guards who ran up on hearing the commotion were dealt with in a similar way O’Connor followed by a number of convicts, then made a dash for the prison nails Fearing the rush of a

number of men would attract attention, O’Connor and two friends turned on the others and drove them back into the exercise pen and locked them in. Whilje the three /were Running down to the basement of the prison they met two warders} who attacked O’Connor. The latter threw them of" and escaped through the door which he locked behind him.

Knocking down another gaoler who tried to intercept them the desperate men reached the prison yard. Here, using his revolver as a threat, O’Connor; forced hid two companions to give him a lift. He scaled the 12ft. wall and dropped on the cither side as the warders rushed up and captured the other two. CRASH INTO TREE.

Once in une roadway O’Connor leapt into a motor car standing a few yards off and drove away. After going a quarter of a mile the car crashed into a tree. Drawing his pistol O’Connor stopped another motor occupied by a man and a young woman, and forcing the terrified pair into the back of the car, he took the wheel and drove away. The good fortune that earned him his nickname and enabled him to es-

cape from a dozen tight corners is still apparently with him, fo r no trace of

him has been found. Much anxiety is felt by the police for the safety of the occupants of the motor car whom it is feared O’Connor may kill to pre-

vent their giving information to his pursuer* I