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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 1949)
II Tb Sfafomaagaitnfc Orsxyon. Friday. 23,194) Benson Leads Prison Guards Over Escape Trail; Tells of Sleeping Near Prison Annex " By Lester F. Cow Staff Writer The Statesman ' Haggard and dejected after rutne,' three-month flight from police, Convict William P. Benson led prison officials tod newmen over the wooded escape trail taken by himself and John O. Pinson May SO in a desperate break from the Oregon state prison. The 44-year-old desperado, handcuffed and led on a chain, un folded an amazing story a he retraced the route leading from the the orison to Turner. 0 miles southeast of Salem. Benson, serving, five years for armed robbery in Portland, re vealed that he and Pinson un knowingly rested within sight of the prison annex a short time af ter their early-morning escape. The same day, he said, they slept within a few feet of prison con victs cutting wood on a tract about one mile south of the prison farm. Story Chanced But the voluble convict with a Texas drawl again changed his story concerning the pair's flight to Portland and steadfastly main tained that Pinson, convicted mur derer serving life is buried near Kellogg, Idaho., dead from gun shot wounds incurred in the es cape. Benson, captured in Columbus, Ohio, September 5 after attempt ing suicide by swallowing poison, was unable to lead officers to Pinson's grave early this week on the return trip to the Oregon pri son. Warden George Alexander and other prison officials Indicated Thursday they believe Pinson is still alive. Talks rreely Benson talked freely Thursday, telling how he and Pinson sawed their way out of the "bullpen" about 1 a.m., May SO, scaling the 23-foot east wall in a hall of gun fire from a guard tower. He contends Pinson' incurred the fa tal shoulder wound In the flight. "I hurt both of my feet when I Jumped from the wall," Benson continued, "and from then on they practically killed me." Both men were barefooted. Benson led Guard Captain Ells worth Herder, Guard Don Johnson and newsmen from the peniten tiary south through the state for estry buildings.. He said they stop ped momentarily in Mill creek be tween the buildings and South 23th street to the west side of the Salem airport. Lay Near Annex Here, the men headed east to ward Turner on roads near the Southern Pacific railroad track until reaching a hill in back of the prison annex, four miles south east of Salem. Weary and foot sore, the fugitives lay near the an nex for an hour before hobbling along the right-of-way to a small mill about six miles west of Tur ner, i "There was a beehive near the mill", Benson told reporters, "and that caused me a lot more trouble. I got stung in about 20 places trying to get some honey. We were awful hungry." Benson showed how he and Pin son walked across the tracks a few hundred feet from the mill and bedded down for hiding out Monday. He said they could see convicts cutting wood about 50 feet away. He led officers to the spot where they fashioned sup ers from a strip of tin with a knife In an attempt to alleviate their cut and aching feet Herder found the tin slippers and asked Benson why they hadn't worn them. "They Just wouldn't work; they were worse than , no thing," the convict replied. Walked to Turner The barefooted pair walked to Turner Monday night securing bandages for Pinion's wounds, clothes for both and shoes for Pinson from the Turner sawmill, according to Benson. They slept near the mill pond Monday night and in a field east of Turner Tues day. At this point Benson's story changed radically from the one given prison officials on his ar rival In Salem Tuesday. The con vict told Warden Alexander he and Pinson .crossed"-the Willamette river at Salem by floating to West Salem on a log, and then had pro ceeded to Portland. Boarded Freight Train Thursday, however, Benson told newsmen they had boarded a freight train at Turner Tuesday night, getting off at Albany. He said they stayed In Albany until Sunday when they boarded a freight train for 'Portland. He said they stole two .38 calibre re volvers and a pair of shoes from a cabin near Albany during their stay. Benson said he and Pinson stay ed in Portland three days, two at a hotel and one In a rooming house on East Burnside street. The Japanese owner of the room ing house got eyeing us suspici ously," Benson told the reporters, "so we moved out fast." The escape trail, according to Benson, then led to Seattle, Ellen- sburg, Yakima and Spokane. He said they boarded a bus at Spo kane and had been ort the road on ly a few hours when Pinson be came ill from his infected shoul der wound. s Says Pinson Died We got off the bus then," he said. "I think we were near Kel logg, Idaho, and I think It was a bout two weeks after the ; break. I went! into town twice for food and bandages. The second time I came back Pinson didn't re cognize me. He died that night (about June 7) and I buried him with a shovel I stole from a mill up the ! road." f Benson said he then traveled by bus and freight trains to the east. He told of taking two trips to Canada from Detroit, Mich. The customs officers "were nice to me," he stated. 'They J list asked me where I was going Juet like every body else.! Refuses to Answer - He refused to answer questions; Order Backs Svmins i at h ttin s Refusal tb Talk WASHINGTON, Sept. ' Navy Secretary Matthews tonight countermanded a navy court's de mand that Air Secretary Syming ton appear in person to tell what he knows of the -B-38 bomber "smear" campaign. Matthews stepped into the row after Symington gave a fast brush off to; the request of a three-man board of admirals that he appear before the court. Matthews directed the admirals to make "no further effort" to get Symington to testify. 20 MEXICANS ARRESTED PORTLAND, Sept. 22P)-The immigration service today deport ed 20 Mexicans, who were arrest ed recently while working on rail road and logging Jobs in Klamath county. They were charged with Illegal residence in this country. Look and: Learn By A. C Gordon Look and Learn Feature page.. 1. What is the world's most valuable autograph? 2. Which are the two largest state capital cities in the U. S.? 3. Whose name appears last on the list of credits at the beginning of every motion picture? 4. In which state is situated the largest known mass of pure Iron in the world? 5. What are the first and last Books of the Bible? ANSWERS 1. That of William Shakespeare, whjo left only two or three signa tures, each worth more than a million dollars. 2. Boston, Mass., and India napolis, Ind. 3. The director's -name. 4. Missouri; Iron Mountain. 5. Genesis and Revelation. Salem Obituaries (2shL your 'T roth r Mrs. Henrietta Roth. late resident at 927 N. Church at., in Newton. Kan., September; 21, at the age of 84 year. Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Dorothea Stark. Salem; Mrs. Anne Jose, Des Moines, Iowa; and Mrs. Ida Zuercher, Whitewater. Kan.; five sons, the Rev. Theodore I Roth.! John and Will Roth all of Whitewater. Kan.; Dave Roth. Moundridge. Kan.; and Emanuel Roth, Arlington, Kan.; 34 Srandchlldren and 21 grat-grndchll-ren. Services will be held Monday, September 26, at 2 p.m. at the Bethel Baptist church with the Rev. J. F. Olthoff officiating. Interment at Lee Mission cemetery under direction of the Clough-Barrtck ehapeL ALBIN T Mrs. Lois M. Alblit. at her home at 203 Ray nor t.. September 22. at the age of 45 years. Surviving are the wid ower, Guy H. Albln, Salem; a daugh ter. Doris M. AJbin, Salem; and her mother. Mrs. Minnie E. Melytn. Salem. Services will be held Saturday. Sep tember 24 at 10 a.m. at the Clough Barrick chapel with the Rev. Seth Huntington officiating. Interment in City View cemetery. $ z mt. Linden Steve William Zurllnden, at the fam ily residence at 2214 N. 4th St.. Septem ber 22. at the age of 23 years. Surviv ing are the parents. Mr. and Mrs. George Zurllnden, Salem; a brother, George Zurllnden, Jr., Salem; and two sisters. Mrs Ruth Moore and Mrs. Dorothy Du Boise, both of Salem. Mem ber of Salem lodge 338, BPOE, and a corporal In the marine corps reserve. Services will be held Monday. Sep tember SS. at 2:30 at the Howell-Edwards chapel with s the Rev. Dudley Strain officiating. , Breitliuupts Salem's Oldest Noma In Flowers Paml Heath Helen Breithaapt Heath Cerl St. Ph. 1-1 17 from guards, asking where he "and Pinson obtained money to travel by bus. "When you start asking that you're talking trouble for me," he declared. Benson denied any complicity In armed robberies for which he and Pinson are suspected m Boise, Id aho. He said bt had never been there during, his wanderings. .Po lice believe, differently. Weary! Thursday afternoon af ter tracing the escape trail, the grey-haired convict said: "I'm ready to go back to the bullpen. I'm tired to answering questions. Itll be a good rest after all the traveling I've done. I should be out of here in three years." Prison officials didn't share his optimism. And they indicated the questioning would continue until they extract the truth from Ben Benson Displays Tin Shoes l iY . i ' ,- 1 t'X i r m Reeaptnred convict William P. Benson, handcuffed In the center as be retraced his state prison escape route. Is pictured Thursday dis playing a pair of erode tin slippers which he fashioned with a knife last Memorial day, shortly after he and John O- Pinson, convicted murderer, escaped. On his left Is Ellsworth Herder, ruard captain at the prison, and en the right Guard Don Johnson. The guards f onnd the crude suppers In the woods near the prison farm annex, about five miles southeast of Salem, where 'the men hid out the day of their escape. (Statesman photo). . FRIDAY'S BROADCASTS Pacific Standard Time Kilocycles: KSLM 1390, KOCO 1490, KOIN 970. KGW 020. HEX 1190 HOUR 5 KSLM KOCO orw KGW KEX 00:00 News Hodge Podge Early Bird r- 00:15 00:30 1- 00:45 KOIN Klock iHodge Pode Early Bird I KOIN Klock . IKneass News Early Bird KOIN Klock IHodge Podge Dirt Doctor 6 KILM KOCO KOIN KGW KEX I- f Morn. News Timekeeper KOIN Klock Farm Time News INews tFarm Time Bend Box ; March Time I KOCO Klock INews (Old Songs Hazen Show INews (KOCO Klock Tred Beck (News Time Tempos 7 KSLM News (Breakfast GaagMusle Top Trades KOCO Te Ritter tNewe'ar sports Top o Monalng'News KOM user News (Art Baker IMoore Show IMoore Show KGW Music Music . Riders Sage 6am Hayes KEX Time Tempos lArzonsky : tZ. Manners IRiders of Sage BKSLM KOCO KOIN KGW KCX Barg. 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DO Oregon Reporter: 4:15 Favorile Hymns; J Eyes On the Champions; 4:45 Cbil- dren's Theater; SOO On the Upbeat; 130 330 Sports Club; 10 The News; 4.13 Dinner Melodies; OJO Musie of Czechoslovakia: 1:13 Evening Farm Hour; - S KoetelaBetz Concert: 8:15 Here's to Veterans: SJO Great Sanaa; a immmrm' r Wnilvr forecast: the News; 9O0 Musie that Endures: 0:43 Kveniac Meditatkma: is an aifswi The Nation's Top Comics DAILY AND in Your Home SUNDAY Newspaper , " 1 ; ' I I Mi!jjjjjtiii - tWi !r-: BLONDS IT, SOMBOOV MUST HAVE GOT CARELE5S AT MeADC3UARTER5 AND LET HIM OUT. CO MUGG KLim .BACK, ctill T CANT r-rJD VOU FWJ "TWE3?E ARE TOO MANV BUSY STREETS TO CROSS AND A BUSY BCaJLEVAl iin.II r. WW, DICK TRACT if w TeACV.THIS IS JUNO?. NOW LISTEN TO ME . V MV FUTURES AT STAKE CA?EFUU CALLING CAR 27. CO TO RS NUMBER lO AND PICK UP A BOXER DOG WHO 5 CREATING A DISTURBANCE- THIS IS URGENT. 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