New-York tribune., 1911-12-23
CONV|CTS FOUND GUILTY
Each Gets Five Years for At
taCking Fellow Prisoner.
ONE. ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE
Halts When Shots Are Fired
Day of Thrills for Spectators
at the Trial.

The Westchester county court at White
Plains was enlivened yesterday during the
continuance of the trial of three convicts
from Sing Sing prison, who were accused
Of attacking another convict, by the tales
of the horrors OF solitary confinement and
the acrobatic stunt Of witness to show
how the assault was committed. Mrs. Ar
thur Lyons. mother of one of the convfcts,
also tainted. and II was several hours be-
fore she was able to return to her home.
Lyons and John De Lucca were accused
of aiding John Clark In making an attack
on Herman Miller. during which Clark
struck Miller on the top of the head with
a hammer. fracturing his skull. An opera
ton was performed. which relieved
pressure on Millers BRAIN and though he
ls paralyZed on the left side the operation
has made a complete change In his nature.
He has reformed and was tho prosecut-
ing witness for the state against the three
convicts, all OF whom were found guilty
late in the afternoon. County Judge Platt
then imposed a sentence OF five years on
each convicted convict, which will be added
to his original sentence
Following their sentence and while the
convicts were standing shackled together
at the Harlem Railroad Crossing where
Warden Kennedy and State Detective
Jackson and the guards were to place them
on trolley car for Tarrytown. to take a
train TO Sing Sing. Lyons slipped Off his
handouts and made dash up the Harlem
railroad tracks toward North Plains. He
was recaptured after a chase in which
two shots were fired.
De Lucca who had been sentenced 10
Sing Sing for fifteen years for highway
robbery while on the stand in his own
defence was asked this question by AS
sistant District Attorney Lee Parsons
Davis
Were you a member of the Monk East
man gang?'
Certainly not" he replied, 'T live on the
West Side He lives on the East side. Any
one knows where he lives
Then he laughed heartily. De Lucca ad-
mitted that ever since he had been In
prison he had been under a special guard.
How many assaults have you committed
since you have been in Sing Sing?' Mr..
Davis asked.
One" was his answer.
After saving he had been in solitary con-
fnement for three days and two nights as
punishment for the attack. he told of his
fear Of solitary confinement He said the
dark cells had been abolished, but the
light" cells were just as bad.
II would rather spend five days and five
nights in a dark cell, with bread and water,
than a month in A light cell. though.
You get no exercise in a light cell. Only
pure solitary confinement De Lucca
added.
De Lucca, Lyons and Clark admitted they
had been In solitary confinement since July
q. when they attacked Miller. Lyons in
telling his story rected like a schoolboy
and II was evident that he had memorized
the tale. as he repeated It twice without
break.
He said he was first committed to the
Catholic Protectory when he was nine years
old He had also been in the House OF
Refuge and is in Sing Sing for burglary.
Clark, when asked II he had been
quiet. peaceful man in Sing Sing. replied
he had escaped from the prison last year
with al" Deveugh. who sawed several bars
in the dormitory. He was captured at
Tarrytown.
He caused a sensation as he was telling
how Miller fell when he jumped from the
witness stand and threw himself on the
floor. head first, beside the judges bench
and alongside the jury box, saying as he did
so That's how Miller went down