Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-08-01
BLAME FOR FIRE
WILL Be FIXED
INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE INTO
OAKLEY FARM DISASTER.
10 BODIES ARE RECOVERED
Accidental or Incendiary Blaze Causes
Sickening Loss of Life at State
Prison Farm-Flsmes Beyond
Control When Seen.


Jackson.-That an official investigA.
tion will be made into the fire at Oak
ley prison farm Monday night is GER
tain. Two theories are entertained AZ
to the origin of the blaze which cost
the lives OF IS negro conyicts; one that
the fire was accidental, the other that
it was of ineendiary origin.
The %antiquated cage in which tina
eonyiets were caught and the lack OF
proper fire protection will be among
the features to be investigated.
Eighteen charred bodies of conyicts
were removed from the ruins OF the
Oakley state convict prison fire, in
which Q total OF 35 convicts, all me-
groes, persisted. The bodies were found
huddled together in the corner tarthest
from where the fire started
When the alarm was given all posi-.
BILE means OF escape for the imprisoned
men had been cut off by the flames, but
prisoners in another pen were formed
in a relief squad and worked Desperate
ly to fight back the fire. The IS pris-
oncrs had persisted in less than an hour
after the fire started.
Sergeant John Doods, in charge of the
farm, said it was his opinion that The
fire was caused by spontaneous COM
bustion among a lot of hay, molasscs
and other farm products under Il stair
way. 1t was the burning OF this stai:-
way that prevented the escape OF thu
prisoners. A can of gasoline was also
on the same floor with the stores. Is
is believed the combustion was aided
by water dripping from the cells above,
where the prisoners bathed.
Twenty minutes before the fire was
discovered u Waterman had made his
rounds and announced all well. Twenty
minutes later another Waterman discov-
cred the entire building in flames, tho
stairway ailame and the prisoners were
trapped.
Coroner j. W. Bcal, after an inquest,
announced the following verdict;
"We, the jury, find that the 35 pris-
oners came to THEM death by an I'M
avoidable accident. S. p. Byrd, hospital
sergeant in charge, is completely exon
Grated"
j. c.. Gathings, penitentiary superin-
tendent, went to Oakley to make q
thorough investigation of the circum-
stances surrounding the tragedy and
report his findings to the board OF pris-
on trustees
Most of the c%onvicts burned to death
were serving life sentences, and among
them were noted negro criminals.
Trapped by flames in the second story
Of an %antiquated convict cage, the first
floor of which was used to store hay,
grain and molasses, IS negro prisoners
were roasted alive at the Oakley convict
farm, 20 miles from here, late Monday
night.
When the flames rapidly eating away
the only stairway leading to the second
floor, the entrapped prisoners frantical-
ly tore at the heavy bars that covered
the windows, but Ito no avail. Their
screams brought the two night guards
to the scene before they had seen the
flames and soon other prison attaches
hurried to the cage" Their efforts
were futile, however, as the flames drove
them back each time they attempted tn
liberate the men.
At last they stood aghast when slow
" the frantic screams OF the burning
c~onvicts died away as one after IN
other succumbed to the flames. Finally
all was quiet, and the smell OF burned
human flesh permeatcd the air as tho
flames devoured the last Of the build.
ing,
Everything was in the flames favor.
The building was constructed 10 Yeas
ago of lumber taken from a discarded
penitentiary; there is no f~ire.fighting
apparatus at the farm, and the first
floor of the building was filled with in
flammable material. Farmers living
near by hurried to the scene to help the
two guards-all that are on duty at
highland other prison attaches, but
they were Of no assistance, as the fire
burned too rapidly. 1t was only a few
minutes from the time the fire started
until it had claimed its awful toll.