C4
History
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
Trio of teenage fugitives caught following
sensational
jail break
STOLEN CARS, ARSON, ARMED
ESCAPE AND A HIGH-SPEED CHASE
Sept. 15, 1944
Blue Mountain Eagle
Last Friday witnessed a
rather sensational jail break at
Canyon City, which was staged
by three boys awaiting sentence
for larceny of automobiles and
other articles. They were Rob-
ert Duane Briggs, 17, Clifford
Elwood Robinson, 16, and Al-
bert De Lonzo Wyatt, 15.
The would-be Baby Face
Nelsons irst attempted to dig
through the stone wall of the
jail corridor using a 20p nail
and stick of stove wood, and
they had a rather large open-
ing almost through the wall.
However, they decided this too
slow a procedure, so they piled
some bread wrappers and other
papers and stove wood around
one of the wooden posts sup-
porting the ceiling of the jail,
and started a ire. When it was
blazing almost to the ceiling,
they called the janitor and jail-
er, James Finlayson. He opened
the jail door, threw in a section
of hose and, as he went to turn
on the water, the boys escaped,
whooping like school kids. The
break occurred at about 8:30
p.m., just after dusk.
Sheriff I.B. Hazeltine and
State Police H.C. Snyder were
on a larceny case in the north-
ern part of the county and did
not arrive until about 11 p.m.
The boys were seen climbing
the hill toward the golf course
and local oficers had searched
the area. These oficers im-
mediately notiied all outside
points where roads left Grant
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Contributed photos/Grant County Historical Museum
A newer courthouse in Canyon City, circa 1900.
The present day courthouse, shown here circa 1960s.
The first courthouse built in Canyon City in 1864.
County, and local deputy sher-
iffs placed road blocks within
the county.
State Police oficers Lar-
son and Zumwalt of Burns
came over to offer assistance,
as they had heard of the break
over short-wave radio. It was
thought that the fugitives might
have gone east or toward Prai-
rie City, so the sheriff and po-
lice oficers started patrol of
this area.
Oliver gives irst real clue
The irst real clue as to the
whereabouts of the escaped
prisoners was furnished by
Herman Oliver, who was at
his ranch home 5 miles east of
John Day and, upon hearing his
dogs bark at about 11:45 p.m.,
went out to look around. He
saw a car on the highway head-
ed west and headlights’ beam
showed the three boys walk-
ing toward Prairie City. They
jumped over a fence to avoid
the light and, after the car had
passed by, continued on their
way up the highway. The sher-
iff and Police Oficer Snyder
were informed by radio of this
clue and, a few minutes later,
they contacted Oliver, then pa-
trolled the highway until they
were called to Bates to investi-
gate a ire, which had destroyed
the mercantile store at Bates.
Car containing guns stolen
At about 8:10 a.m. Satur-
day, the oficers were notiied
that L.D. Fleming’s car had
been stolen at Prairie City, that
it contained three riles, a 30-30
carbine, .25 Remington auto-
matic and a .22 repeater.
The deputy sheriff and the
city marshal at Prairie City
had noted a car leaving there
at excessive speed at about 3
a.m. and gave chase, but could
not overtake it. The sheriff and
police oficer decided to follow
after having notiied oficers
at Ontario, Baker and Vale
of the license, serial number,
etc., of Fleming’s car.
Chase Ends After Car
is Wrecked
On Dixie Mountain, they
received a radio message to the
effect that the Fleming car had
been found wrecked about 1 1/2
miles east of Austin Junction,
that no one was apparently hurt
and that the guns were missing.
The oficers were joined by
two State Police from Baker,
and they found the tracks of
the trio and commenced to fol-
low them, inally apprehending
them at about 11:45 a.m., some
7 miles east of the wrecked car.
The escapees had been sur-
rounded in a clump of second
growth pine and, when taken
had the stolen guns loaded,
with two of them cocked and
ready for action. They admit-
ted that it was their irst inten-
tion to resist arrest and that
they had taken a bead on the
sheriff and another member
of the posse, but as they had
but little ammunition and the
oficers were armed with high
power riles, they decided that
to surrender was the safest
action.
The Fleming car was the
second automobile stolen by
this trio in Grant County. They
have now added arson and
armed escape to their list of
criminal offenses.
Sheriff Hazeltine has previ-
ously warned people through
these columns to remove the
ignition keys when leaving
their cars out at night, or at any
other time.
“To leave loaded guns in a
car and the ignition key, too,
might result in the killing of ar-
resting oficers as well as inno-
cent persons who might resist
giving up their cars or valu-
ables,” the sheriff stated. “A car
with the key left in ignition lock
only invites larceny and a gun
murder.”
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195 NE 2nd Ave. • John Day • 541-575-1410
Contributed photo/Grant County Historical Museum
In 1912, men could stop in at R.A. Clark’s
barbershop in Canyon City for a haircut or a shave,
and a drink. In the front chair, Lewis Allen is being
shaved by Clark, and in back, Guy Durham is
shaved by Henry Guernsey. To the left, Calcite Kid
is at the door. Information by Charles Brown.
,
Boyd, Bonnie
Ty, Clarence
& Levi.
Eagle owner’s son
commits barbershop prank
Blue Mountain Eagle
R.A Clark owned a bar-
bershop in Canyon City in the
early 1900s.
He was known for wearing
a derby hat. He also wore a
toupee.
Clint Haight owned the
newspaper, the Blue Mountain
Eagle. He had a son, also named
Blue Mountain
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Clint, who grew up here.
One afternoon, Clint stole
into Clark’s barbershop and
removed the derby hat from
the hat rack and applied a cir-
cle of glue to the hat’s crown.
The next time Clark took
off his hat, along came his
toupee.
Story shared by the Grant
County Historical Museum.
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