Evening star., 1923-10-07
PRISON SIEGE ENDS
IN DRAMATIC DEATH
'0F DESPERATE TRIO
Guards Enter BuIIet-Torn
Covert After 81-Hour Battle
to- Find 1t Tomb.
CONvICTS DEAD z DAYS,
is BELIEF OF OFFICIALS
Two Committed Suicide or Were
Shot by Pal-Gas Attack
Final Weapon.
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press,
WESTERN KENTUCKY STATE
PENITENTIARY. via Paducah,' KY,
October Ga storming party late
today entered the mess hall fortress
here, held by three convict murderers
since Wednesday. when they killed
three prison guards In a desperate bid
for freedom-and found them dead.
Indications were that the gunner
had been dead for at least thirty-six
hours, two OF them possibly for two
days and nights.
Entrance to the bullet-torn, two-.
story building was affected by de-
tail OF seven picked men, after the
desperadoes' stronghold had been
flooded for an hour with ammonia,
fumes. Bodies of the convict gunmen
were found on the floor of the second
story Of the building.
Monte Walters body was found near
the northwest wall with a bullet
wound through the head and horribly
burned from a bursting rife grenade.
Bodies of Lawrence Griffith and Harry
Ferland. Walters companions in the
spectacular last stand" stripped TO
the waist, were partly sheltered under
table against the wall on the north
west side. Powder-burned bullet
wounds over the heart indicated the
manner in which Griffith and Ferland
died. Ferland's gun hand, stffr In
death, still gripped a heavy caIiher
automatic pistol.
ar1 nd r.gA
folded as though the bodies had been
arranged after death. These two
Of the desperate trio lost heart as
hope Of escape diminished and com
mitted suicide to avoid Capture or
were slain by Walters, who then fell
under the heavy fire from the beseig-
ing Mforcas. Prison physicians saia
Walters apparently was the last man
to die. -ss-.,4
Unaware Of DEATHS.
Unaware Of course that ali sneni-
bers of the gunman trio wef- dead,
authorities in charge OF the s.sge OF
the mess hall today obtained a supply
Of high proof ammonia from an ice
company in Paducah. Under cover
OF metal shields. three pipe lines were
laid to the building and for an hour
this afternoon. the fumes were forced
into the desperadoes' bulIet-torn covert,
After second hour had elapsed,
during which besiegers waited for, air
currents to sweep the ammonia from
the building, the. stornling party
moved forward. Entrance was made
at sos o'clock and moment later
word flashed out that all the men
were dead.
The barricaded mess hall was
under siege OF prison guards. more
than half a hundred Kentucky Ma
tional Guardsmen, made up of details
from guard companies at Hopkins
vile and Mayfield. and citizen marks
men, who volunteered their services
soon after the outbreak, for eighty
one hours. In duration of time the
'siege of Eddyyille" surpassed the
three-day battle of Gettysburg, most
hotly contested engagement of the
civil war.
Four Guards Shot.
The siege was begun after the des-
peradoes. turned back by guards from
dash toward the main gate of the
prison, took refuge in the mess hall
early Wednesday. Four guards were
wounded. three Of them fatally. by
the convict gunmen before they
were driven into the mess hall
With the desperadoes safely corner
ed, the authorities launched attempts
to capture them and at the same time
insure against further loss Of life.
and minimum of damage to the
states property.
Troop C, from the Hopkinsville Ma
chine Gun Company. first was ordered
to the scene by Gov. Edwin P. Nor
from Mayf1eld arrived to provide
guard relief for the besiegers.
Lasted Four Days.
Through four days and three nights
the roar Of barrages Of rife and ma
chine gun fire rolled at intervals over
the Lyon county hills. Such wither-
Ing hail of steel jacketed bullets was
sent smashing into the beleaguered
building from the high-velocity weapons
of the besiegers that 1t seemed impos.
sible the mess haIl tenants could es-
cape death. Warden John Chiffon point
ed out, however. that huge brick and
iron ovens and heavy metal dough mix
ing machines in the prison kitchen,
located on the ground floor of the bar
ricaded building, would provide safe
shelter for the trio from the attackers'
fre
During the first days of the Siege
prison officials were confronted with an
additional troublesome problem In pzv-
viding food for the other convicts fn
the penitentiary as all Of the prison
food stocks, as weH as the kitchen
equipment, was in the mess hall
The approximately $50 prisoners were
on short rations of an emergency nature
Wednesday and Thursday, but by Fri
Day the feeding schedule had been re-
stored practically to normal through
importation of supplies from outside
points and use Of the kitchen in the,
warden's quarters.
Use Of Tear Gas. G-
Early in the siege. after use OF tear
ras guns brought here by members OF