June 24, 1962

Subject: Attempted escape-Death Row

To: Mr. W. P. Steinhauser, AW-C

I went on duty at Death Row at approximately 5:30 P.M. Nothing seemed to be out of order. At about 6:00 P.M. a couple of the Death Row inmates asked me to sharpen some pencils for them. I took them into the Receiving Unit office and sharpened them, and returned them to the inmates.

Then, at about 6:15 P.M., an inmate on the far side called to me. I went around to see what he wanted, and Thompson and Williams, who were out of their cells, seized and overpowered me. They put me in Thompson’s cell; removed my clothes, tied my feet, and also my hands behind me. After about 30 or 40 minutes, they carried me to Anderson’s cell and put me in there. By this time all six Death Row inmates were out of their cells.

Sometime later, around 8:00 P.M. the telephone rang. They untied my feet andtook me to the phone to answer. It was the Control Center asking for inmate Kurtz, I.D. clerk. I told them he was not there.

A little later I heard one of them say ‘There they are, we might as well give up.’ Then Sr. Guard Charlie Bosch started rapping on the door.

They untied me, I put on my clothes, Let [sic] Sr. Guard Bosch in, and they all returned to their cells. Inmate Odum [sic] had put on my uniform shirt and cap and impersonated me so that the tower guards, looking through the windows would see nothing wrong.

As I was tied and in a cell most of the time, I could not see their activities, and did not hear them make much noise, although they did break through several locks. The T-V was turned up loudly during this time.

Sr. Guard Earl Snyder
3-11 shift.