Norfolk Daily News March 16, 1951

In January of 1951, Victor Sweet, age 24 and Dewey Battershaw, age 21, both of Nebraska were arrested and charged with robbing an Omaha Nebraska gas station.  They had also stolen a car, which they admitted to.  The FBI were also investigating them for allegedly transporting a vehicle across state lines.  Battershaw had only recently been released from jail where he was spending time for a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.  He had been sentenced to two years for that, but escaped, was captured and given an additional sentence.  (Norfolk Daily News, January 24, 1951)

On March, 6, 1951 Sweet and Battershaw were incarcerated on the 6th floor of the Omaha, Nebraska jail, when Dewey's younger brother, Clifford Battershaw, only 17 years old, came in the guise of visiting them.  He then pulled out a "German pistol" and broke them out of jail.  Taking two hostages, a deputy sheriff and an attorney, they escaped on a city transit bus.  Later they took a car along with its owner, bringing the hostage count to 3.  Fleeing west, they later took another car and its owner hostage!  They came to a farm near Auburn, Nebraska where they released the four hostages and took the farmers vehicle.

Law enforcement were in hot pursuit and hoped to pick up their trail in the area of Nebraska where they dropped off the hostages.  However with few leads they soon lost the trail.

March 15, 1951 finds the fugitives speeding through the tiny town of St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona.  Deputy Emmett Wilhelm spotted them speeding through town and radioed Highway Patrolman Ray Dahm to stop the car, then started after them as well.  When Dahm was approaching the car on the highway, they broke out the back window and began firing on him.  Both of the cars were going around 100 miles per hour when the fugitives hit a deep dip in the road eight miles west of town and the car flew out of control overturning four times.

AZ Republic 17 March 1951

The fugitives were armed with the German pistol (Luger) and a .22 caliber rifle and leapt out of the wrecked car and fled into the cedars and brush on foot.

Officer Dahm and Deputy Wilhelm radioed for help and then with the help of Sheriff's Deputy John T. Crosby, headed after the three. Armed with only pistols, the officers were unable to approach within firing range of the rifle. After about an hour help arrived in the form of a mounted posse of 5 more deputies.  Now armed with rifles they were able to move in closer and pin the three down with a steady exchange of gunfire.  It is believed that Deputy Emmett Wilhelm hit Dewey Battershaw, who suffered rifle wounds in the upper right shoulder and lower right abdomen, dying shortly after being wounded.  Seeing Dewey mortally wounded and basically being out of ammunition, the other two quickly surrendered.  

Clifford Battershaw suffered many cuts and a broken ankle in the car crash,  and Sweet was banged up as well, but no broken bones or serious wounds.

Lincoln Journal Star 17 March, 1951

Battershaw and Sweet were held in the Apache County Jail while they awaited Officers from Omaha, Nebraska to arrive and transport the prisoners back for trial and sentencing.  The parents of Dewey Battershaw traveled to claim their son's body to take back home for burial.

Unknown source

In November of 1951, 24 year old Victor Sweet was sentenced to life in prison on a kidnapping charge connected with the jail break.  (The Columbus Telegram, 29 November 1951)

Under Nebraska Law, a jury must determine whether a kidnapper receives life in prison or death.  Sweet claims that he dissuaded the elder Battershaw, who hated cops, from killing the kidnap victim, Deputy Cliff Hansen, but instead release him.  Sweet is also serving a 15 year sentence for robbery.

Young Clifford Battershaw is serving a 5-10 year sentence for robbery. (Omaha World Herald, 29 November 1951)

Post Script:

It appears that after his release from prison, Clifford Battershaw was married in 1959 and had several children before passing away in 1964 at age 30.

Interesting and sad discovery.  It appears that Victor Sweet was a veteran of the U.S. NAVY!!  He enlisted 18 February 1944 and was discharged 10 June 1946 around the time he was arrested in Washington State for attempted robbery and assault of a Taxi Driver.

Washington State Corrections & Jail Records 1877-1970 (via Ancestry)