Convict Lake in the Sierra Nevadas near Mammoth Calif. The Eastern Sierra lake acquired its name from the most famous prison break in Mono County history in 1871, according to Dave Desurra, owner of Convict Lake Resort. Twenty-nine prisoners, including murderers and train and stage robbers, escaped from Nevada Territorial Prison in Carson City. Six of them headed towards the Owens Valley and murdered Billy Poor, a mail carrier, near the town of Aurora. Aurora citizens organized a posse and followed the convicts south, while another posse from Benton pursued the fugitives into Long Valley. The convicts were eventually sighted on the shore of Mount Diablo Lake, which became known as "Convict Lake." Gunfire broke out and two of the posse were killed, including Robert Morrison, for whom Mt. Morrison on the lake's south shore was named. The convicts escaped, but two were captured and later hung by vigilantes in Round Valley near Bishop. All of the remaining prisoners except one were returned to the prison to serve life terms.