The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-09-22
At Walla Walla
SECOND ARTTCLE)
Siberia" Called Slaughter House"
Three Men Come to Violent End There.
Guards Story Hard to Believe.
Chained to Bunk for IL Months.

By c. &. Payne
tw..h,nssse eisssss wh. he. tu.s
DAY. In stste p<nis<ntisry - wsii.
w~ii- On charge growing cut II sisiks
disssre2nce.i
n h not without reason that ST
IBERIA" Ia called tho slaughter house.
At least three men who were not
sentenced 20 death BY any court OF
law have been KILLED within ia
walls IL Is about 80 feet long and
30 feet wide with smooth concrete
walls rs feet high. A gun tower
- on one conner In which there "
always a guard armed with 4 load
ed rifle. Tie Enclosed space con.
talns q small court and nine cells.
One man was killed there about a
year ago. Tho claim was made By
tho guard who shot him that tho
man was about 20 attack another
guard who was In Siberia at tho
tins. Also. that tho man had been
attempting an escape during tho
night previous by trying to reach
the top Of the wall with hook
pols.
But there II no possibility o. any
ono familiar with the p.nissntiarv
believing thsre was any attempt TO
escape. Neither In n possible for
anyone. who knows of the manner
In which the man was shot. 90 be
iievs that an attack wss about to
Dc made on the inside guard
Everyone tn siberia" II locked
IN his own cell at night and all the
calls are In pertsf by a guard after
they are licked. To get out az
cell and Into tho court. three steel
bars. each two inches wide and half
an inch thick. would have 20 be
sawed off IN one night and In plain
view Of the guard in tho gun tower
All the bars would have 20 bo
sawed off BY reaching thru a srnaii
wicket IN the steel door. Two Of
these bars are at least three feet
from the wicket
MAKES STORY HARD
I'D BELIEVE
Putting together the various facts
that nothing has ever been known
10 have been smuxgled into 81.
beria.- particularly a hack Jaw and
a hook pole 10 feet IN length. that
a guard u always In position 10 see
all the cell doors and that a man
locked In his cell could not saw off
the bars Of the cell door IN any one
night. nor do II silently at all. II II
seen 20 have been a physical impos-
sibliity for the man 20 have been
trying 20 escape. However. the next
morning the gun guard ordered the
man 20 stand In one corner OF the
court. How long he stood there
was not able 20 learn exactly. Some
reports have I, eight hours.
Later In the day guard went
inside the walls OF Siberia" for
some reason. The man standing in
the corner asked him for a drink Of
water. The guard started toward
him with a cup Of water. when the
guard on the wall fired his rife. the
bullet cutting three fingers on one
hand. two fingers on the other hand
and the main artery In the upper
pnrt Of the left leg. The man died
about an hour later from loss Of
blood.
A rolnf that Il significant In
connection with this death IL
that the guard who killed him
claimed that the inmate was
about TO attack the guard In
side the walls. The man killed
had q habit OF crossing his
hands In front Of him. with bis
thumbs thrust inside his belt,
and he Ind them In this position
when shot. The guard he was
said to have started 10 attack
was not close enough so the In
mate had yet raised his hands
from his belt. This fact ought
to be conclusive evidence that
no attack was made or at
tempted.
Another man named Johnson was
shot in the back In SIBERIA" he
was said 20 be making a break for
freedom. The fact is that johnson
had leg irons on. which were made
OF steel bars two inches wide and
OF an inch thick.
were rlveted on his ankles and were
connected ty q chain about ten
inches IN length.
GUARD WHO SHUT MAN
IS DISCHARGED
when johnson was shot he
seemed 10 think II was an accident,
as he turned around to the guard
and asked, What Us the matter
with you up there7" lie died almost
Immediately aftcrward.
Before the coroner could see
johnson n blacksmith was called
m To- cut the leg irons off his
ankles with q hammer and cold
chiseI. The verdict. Of course,
exonerated the guard who did
the shooting, but in this ~
stance the warden had the de-