Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-18
GUARDS FIRE
POINT BLANK
INTO THE MOB
Troops and Police From Near
by Cities Rushed to PennsyI-
vania Penitentiary.
FEW REPORTED KILLED
Six Buildings Burned-Men
Wanted Tobacco, Women
Face Powder.

w AAAO uoAeS CIdChl6uA III tQo prison
buildings and dense clouds of smoke
rolled over the scene, 100 convicts,
including thirty women, fought des-
perately with guards in the Western
Pennsylvania Penitentiary today.
Guards fired point blank into mobs
of prisoners who came at them
armed with pieces of furniture and
other weapons. Scores were re-
ported wounded. Six frame struc-
lures within the walls were de-
stroyed by fire.
ASA1t
Armed with knives and forks and tim
plates from the dining room torn into
stripes with razor-nke edges, the prison
ers stormed the guards and threa tened to
assume possession Of the great gray
structure, but they were finally over
powered
The riot was started in the prison din
ing room by 200 convicts just ansferred
here from the eastern penitentiary 1t
was reported they demanded rations Of
cigarettes for the men and face powder
for the women
Several prisoners rushed at the guards
They ripped furniture to bits and used
table legs and chairs as bludgeons.
Others grabbed knives forks and tin
plates from the tables. The air was filed
with flying missiles.
The fighting spread from the dining
room until the whole penitentiary was
involved. Guards on the walls ran up
Nd q
conyicts milling around In the yards.
GUARDS TIRE
ON CONVICTs.
Other guards armed with rifles and re-
volvers, opened fire on the convicts as
they rushed them again and again in an
effort to. capture the gates and effect a
general jail delivery.
The fires were started one after the
other In rapid succession, and soon the
air was heavy with smoke in the midst
Of which the hand hand fighting
ragged on.
Hundreds OF prisoners, clad in their
gray and tlack striped garments, paved
franticaIly like Gagged maniacs at the bars
through broken windows and screamed
and cursed Ike mad men at the thousands
who had gathered around the prison.
State troopers were en- route from
Greensburg barracks to patrol the prison
tonight and to prevent any new out
break Practically every available po-
liceman In the city was on guard pa
trolling the outer walls aad holding back
the tens Of thousands Of curious that had
gathered.
SIX BUILDINGS
ARE DESTROYED.
The latest report of the fire damage
includes the following buildings. most Of
which crumbled to ruins at / so p. m:
The wearing shop, shoe shop, tailor
shop, main dining hall, and inspection
and drill rooms.
A financial estimate was not given.
The prison contains about one thou
sand inmates at present.
Five doctors were rushed to the peni-
tentiary by John J. McKelvie, city di-
rector of charities, at l 80 p. m, when
he received an appeal for help from ply
sicians inside the penitentiary walls,
Huge black clouds Of smoke swirled
through the corridors driving the prison
ers to the windows. Convicts in the
west wing apparently not locked In their
cells, ran along the halls hurting shoes,
bedding and other infIammable materials
on the fire. The flames quickly spread
to three lookout towers along the prison
walls
A hurry call to city detective head
quarters and the sheriffs office brought
a score Of detectives.
Civilians of the Woods Run district
were pressed into service and patroled
the grounds with rifles.
REPORTER SEES
QUEER SIGHT.
A newspaper man who succeeded in
looking into the windows of the prison
stated that some of the inmates were
dancing. others were hysterical and act
ing like maniacs, while others were
crying
A policeman on guard at the prison said
that six to eight convicts had been killed.
There was no confirmation of this report
The regular prison guards with guns
shOuldered paced their beats on top Of
the high walls surrounding the build
ings.
Nine city fire companies responded to
alarms and after an hours work. subdued
the flames that threatened destruction of
other portions of the institution