Supremacist Accused Of Escape Attempt

Police say a white supremacist responsible for setting three synagogues on fire in 1999 beat a jail guard during a failed escape attempt. According to police, Matthew Williams hid in a shower stall Saturday at the Shasta County jail with inmate Paul Gordon Smith. The two allegedly attacked officer Timothy Renault with a handmade weapon while he was making his routine checks at about 4 a.m. Renault was beaten on the head and suffered a fractured skull before officers responded to his calls for help. He is listed in serious condition at Mercy Medical Center in Redding. Williams and Smith were being housed in a segregated unit for inmates who are considered a threat to others. Both are awaiting murder trials.