New-York tribune., 1922-08-22
700 Inmates
Riot I'm Jersey
State Prison
LOU Police, Rushed to Treri-
ton, Force Prisoners Into
Cells at Gun Point; Din
StillContinues Unchecked
More Peaches Their Plea
Smash Lights, Break Fur
niture; Stone Comrades
in Yard; Defy Guards
Special Dispatch to rho r,4bune

TRENTON, Aug. 21.-Convicts Of the
New Jersey State Prison, after day
OF violence and disorder, are in spirit
OF revolt tonight which even the pres
ence of troop Of State Police, score
of local police and every available dep
ut;- keeper has not subdued.
n The rebellion among the convicts
started last night and grew out of dis
satisfaction with their supper. They
have since been in hostile spirit and
the climax was reached late this after
noon, when 600 Of them refused to obey
orders Of deputies TO march into their
cells from the exercising yard.
Violence followed, and SO serious did
the situation become that it was neces-
sary for Headkeeper Joseph s. Hoff to
send an emergency call to State Police
Headquarters and to the Trenton police
for assistance in controlling the out
break.
Peach Portion Called Scanty
The convicts started demonstra-
tion last night upon returning to their
cells from the mess hall. Peaches had
been served FOR dessert and their com
plant was that the quantity was in
sufficient. Each man was given sim
gle peach. but this: did not satisfy
them. The conventional convict meth
DDS of registering dissatisfaction by
knocking tin cups onS cell bars fol-
lowed, and this was augmented by
yells and screams which continued
during the night.
Throughout the morning and early
part OF the afternoon there was COM
parative peace, but the dieorder was
renewed on more violent scale when
1T came time to turn the seven hun
dree men who were out in the yard
exc. %ssing back into the cell tiers.
They sent up wall of defiance that
could be heard several blocks. Finally
about hundred yielded to the de-
mands and threats of the deputies and
started into the building.
The remaining 600 or more took up
stones and threw them at the men who
had. deserted their ranks, cutting and
bruising many of them. They de-
manded that the principal keeper come
out to them, but he refused to treat
Win eHe luutlHeeTS excepting through
a committee and only after they had
returned to their cells. This decision
resulted in another outbreak and "a
call was then sent in for outside help.
Rcvolvers Cow Men
With drawn revolvers more than 100
offers surrounded the mutineer con-
victs and drove them into their cells
There the disorder was continued and
the convicts during the night smashed
the electric light bulbs outside their
cells and broke practically everything
that could be destroyed. They
screamed and kept up continual din,
and finally the entire prison was
thrown into darkness in the hope of
quieting the men.
Officers of the prison have succeeded
in determining many Of the ringlead-
ers in the rioting, and have marked
them for severe punishment. They
are somewhat at loss to explain the
demonstrations Of violence, which
have been among the most serious in
the history of the institution. 1t is
attributed in some measure to the fact
that the institution Is overcrowded,
the population Of the prison now being
1921, and to the fact that the men
have been suffering greatly during the
last few days from the excas siye heat