The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-05-09
FOURTEEN WOUNDED
WHEN GUARDS ARE
COMPELLED TO FIRE
Prisoners We're Armed With
kpSticlks and Knives They Used
in Working in Factory.
BUILDING is ALSO SET ON
FIRE BY RECALCITRANTS
Trouble Is the elimination of
Dissatisfaction That Has Been
Brewing for Weeks.
AZ rha AssooIated Prsssl

COLUMBIA. s. G, May s.-Four-
teen men were wounded two perhaps
fatally at the south Carolina peniten-
tiary today when 100 prisoners revolt
cd against the authority OF the guards
The demonstration was made at the
lunch hour when,the men normally re-
turn to work in the chair factory one
Of the departments Of the prison. To-
day "a returned to their work as usual
all the docile ones being engaged on
the same floor. while $50 others re-
fused to enter the factory
These recalcitrants were armed with
sticks they had seized and knives they
use in working in the factory Inc
captain OF the guard was summoned
and he in turn called out the entire
force Of guards When the convicts
n,aintained their hostile attitude, ad-
vancing with their improyised weap-
ons prison authorities say, the guards
opened fire. Many fired above the
heads Of the rioters but some shots
,vere directed into the crowd and l3
men fen wounded. One other was
struck IN the head with an iron pipe
,rvo were so seriously hurt they We're
token TO 4 Columbia hospital
The chair factory building had been.
set on fire and a portion OF the peni-
tentiary hose cut tosprevent adequate
fiphting Of the flames The prisoners
resisted the efforts of the guards to
enter the building In an effort 70 put
out the fire and this formed another
cbanter IN the disturbance. However,
the guards managed to extinguish the
fire and the riot was at an end.
THE Columbia fire department was
called 10 the scene when 1t was dis
covered that the hose had been cut
nut the Columbia firemen took no part
An extinguishing the blaze as the
shooting was in progress when the
firemen arrived and they remained out
side the prison walls.
The trouble Of today is the eulmina-
zion Of dissatisfaction that has been
apparent for several weeks About
three weeks ago prison authorities
were advised that prisoners were in
nossession OF concealed weapons and
investigation revealed more than 100
knives. razors, baynots and black jacks
As a result Of this discovery orders
were issued that the prisoners be de-
priyed OF civilian clothes. Prisoners
N the state penitentiary do not wear
atripes but are dressed in overalls at
their woplS and have been permitted TO
wear civilian clothes at other times.
The weapons were found concealed In
these garments and the order taking
them away caused great dissatisfaction
among the prisoners. The clothes were
collected today and the outbreak fol-
lowed.
Fourteen prisoners, all white and
one guard were injured, guard Gill
cite being hit BY flying missile and
slightly hurt.
OF the wounded convicts, Natan
Rosen is probably the only one thought
to be fatally shot. Rosen is wounded
IN the abdomen the intcstines being
pierced in five places. He was oper-
ated on at a hospital in the city this
Afternoon. Rosen was serving an eigh-
teen months sentence from Kershaw
county for forgery.
James H Faulkner, wounded in
both arms is also IN the hospital He
was serving a year sentence from
creenville county.
Jack Davis, who locked Dr. T. II.
Moore and wife Columbia dentist in a
small room in the Moore residence and
then robbed the home, to be captured
hair an hour later after gun battle
with Columbia police, received a bad
blow on the head with stick Davis
is serving ten year sentence for the
robbery OF the home and firing upon
the officers.