FIVE MEN KILLED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21983, 19 June 1933, Page 7

FIVE MEN KILLED

POLICE AND CONVICT ATTACK BY MACHINE-GUN GANG. KANSAS CITY, June 17. (Received June 18, at 7-25 p.m.) Four peace officers and one escaped convict were shot down and killed by a machine-gun gang to-day in front of the Union Railway Depot. It is thought that the gunmen were attempting .to rescue the convict and accidentally killed him in the heavy cross-fire of two machine-guns and rifles, which lasted but a few seconds. The officers were.returning the convict to prison and were attacked so suddenly that they had no time to return the fire. The attackers escaped in an automobile. It is recalled that the convict was a close associate of the ring-leaders in the affair at the Lansing Penitentiary. The police believe that to-day's incident was part of a plot by south-western desperadoes who terrorised this section recently.

A message from Lansing (Kansas) on May 31 stated: During a baseball game on the Memorial Day holiday ten longterm convicts broke out of the Kansas State penitentiary, kidnapping a warden and two guards and wounding another. They separated into two groups, and each commandeered an automobile and drove away, taking the three women occupants of one car with them, apparently hoping to use them as hostages. The police withheld their fire fearing that they would wound the women. All the convicts are notorious bank bandits or murderers.