In the spring of 1903, the town of Glasgow, Montana, was a frontier settlement still grappling with the lawlessness of the Old West. Jack Faul Williams, a White/Caucasian male deputy, was part of the small contingent of lawmen tasked with maintaining order in the sprawling Valley County. His life, however, would come to a violent end not on the open range, but within the supposed security of the county jail. On June 6, 1903, a daring and brutal jailbreak unfolded, forever marking a dark day in the town's history.
The escape was meticulously planned by the inmates. At approximately 4:00 PM, as Jailer Dillard was collecting dishes, the prisoners overpowered both him and Undersheriff Harry Rutter who was in the cell block at the time. One of the inmates managed to secure a Winchester rifle from the kitchen, while another armed himself with a Colt. 45 revolver, likely taken from Undersheriff Rutter.
Their violent takeover of the jail was swift and decisive, leaving them in control and lying in wait for the unsuspecting Deputy Williams who was returning from an errand in town.
As Jack Williams opened the door to the jail, he was met with the shocking sight of the armed escapees. Before he could react, he turned to flee and was shot in the back with the Colt revolver. The wound proved to be mortal. The escaped prisoners, having now committed murder, fled the scene. A man identified only as Pierce is believed to have been the one who fired the fatal shot that killed Deputy Williams. While some of the escapees were eventually captured or met their own violent ends, Pierce was never apprehended for the murder of the deputy and was later suspected of committing another murder in North Dakota. The brazen escape and the cold-blooded killing of Deputy Jack Faul Williams left a lasting scar on the community of Glasgow, a stark reminder of the perils faced by those who wore a badge in the untamed landscape of early 20th century Montana.
