The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-06-03
SMITH DEFENDS
 GUARD THOMPSON
President of Convict Board
 Talks of Lucille Holocaust
HEROISM OF A PRISONER
Nathan Page May Be Given Freedom for Valiant Service During Fire. Rulings of Supreme Court.
 Prisoner Baptized

Montgomery, June 2.-(Special.) 1.-Two in- cidents of the recent disastrous fire in the convict stockade of the Red Feather Coal company at Lucille mines, in Bibb county, indicate that virtue hath reward outside of it's own inherent self One is that the better class of men, known by their as- sociates as do right cuvicts,' escaped without injury from the fire, and the other is that Nathan Page, lifetime man who has been 14 years in service, will no doubt be given his liberty for saving the life ot J. o. Thompson, ope of the guards.
 The men of the better class known as above indicated, were on the first or ground floor of the prison, and were taken out ..l good order and safe The bad men, those not easily ruled, were kept on the top floor. where the fire broke out. It was in trying to open the door for the latter class, 26 of whom were burned to death, that Thompson was overcome and escaped death only by the quick work of Page, who ran into the blaze and smoke and pulled him o1A In the meantime the door had been opened however, and some of the men escaped.
 J. OTdlS cSiSSit "A eiiS S'@'S board of convict inspectors, denies that there was any negligence by Guard Thompson. as indicated in the report sof the coroner's jury made Wednesday. Had he opered the door when the fire first broke out he and his only companion would have been killed, as it was the evil dent Intention of the prisoners to get away by killing the guards as soon as the doors were opened. If they had got ten away. MT Smith argues, 1t would have been no time until every convict prison ii. the state would have been fired for the same purpose.
 Mir. Smith takes 1t that Ed Mcfarland, criticised by the report, did right In not opening the doors until he had brought help to hold the prisoners. He admitted the other guards. and had the doors open in five minutes after, giving time for all to have escaped if there had not been a panic. The shooting of Ed Porter. shown by the jury to have had part in firing the prison. was result of an effort to get away. being on the run when fired upon bv Guard Stuart He refused to stop when ordered to do so.
 There are enough men on guard all the time to prevent convicts from escap- ing. but no one could have anticipated that such a condition as that brought ahout by the fire would arise As 1t was. other guards were within easy call, and did respond, with many others about the place, in five minutes after the alarm was sent out.
 When the fire broke out alarm was given ty the guards shooting their revol- vers and the blowing vigorously of the steam distress whistle. The bSldng was of pine, and dry, and with the covering of oil made a quick fire.
 Mir. Smith looks upon the action of Guard Thompson as a matter of judg- ment. |. was practically certain that if he had let the men out he and his com panion would have been killed and the whole force, desiring to get away, lost by escape The negroes in the top cells were tEe most desperate in the Alabama pe1d,e ntiary, and were ready to stop at no decd to be free.
 MT. Smith very much regrets the dis aster and regards it as exceedingly un- fortunate, but with the exceedingly bad lot of convicts to deal with he thinks that the whole matter was as well han dled as was possible under the circum- stances.