Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1926-10-16
CONTINUED from last week.

This period OF leniency he
promised for one year, at the end
of which it depended entirely upon
the conduct of the men whether such
leniency would continue. Thus start
ed a year of prison license that will
forever remain dark blot upon
Michigan's penal history. No soon
er had the new reign started before
plot upon plot started to brew. I'm
der the pretense of faithful graft
tude the men would secretly and de-
liberately take advantage of every
privilege. Gambling without any
pretense of secrecy became preva-
lent Fights and cutting scrapes
followed in the wake Of same. Men
who were unable to earn money to
gamble began stealing it from their
fellow inmates and even a hold-up
inside the prison with a threat of
life was not uncommon. The War
den could see the handwriting on
the wall but was as good as his
word and made no effort to curb the
privileges, leaving that for the men
to kill themselves. Escapes and at
tempted escapes became so prevalent
that it became a standing joke for
the Michigan newspapers to refer to
those-"yet remaining" at Marquette
Prison.
Some of the more daring and des-
perate escapes will be enumerated
for the benefit of the reader. Steve
Mazda was a notorious hold-up man,
hijacker and killer. After a desper-
ate battle he had been captured and
sent to Marquette with a double life
sentence hanging over his head. He
was a born leader of the criminal
class and many of his former gangs
were incarcerated with him. He
would plan while others executed.
Nadia and Perry some months before
had pulled stunt that proved their
\ daring to the complete mystification
of the writer In broad daylight they
stole painters ladder, rushed
across the prison yard, placed it
against an ell between two buildings
and scrambled up amidst the rain
ing of shots from three angles and
were forced down when guards ap-
peared on the roof at the top of the
building with guns leveled in their
faces. This will indicate their dar
ing, Mazda had with keen observa-
ton picked the prison to pieces for
weak spots and discovered rain
soaked spot in the roof of the west
come rotten through the constant
drenching based his campaign Of es-
cape thereon. Taking advantage of
the lenience and let down of disci-
pline by the new Warden he secured
four followers to whom chances for
their leader only proved their con-
stancy. Shortly after eight the writ
er while playing cards heard loud
thump that for all the world sound
ed like a body being thrown from
the top gallery to the base and vio-
lence being predominant at that
time the conclusion was made that
some other "stool' had met his fate
However we rushed to where the
noise seemed to spring from only to
see four men using two-by.four scant-
fngs that had been ripped from a
temporary bath room in the cell
block ramming it back and forth
against the rain soaked spot in the
ceiling. Soon a large opening had
been made and the same scantlings
were stretched from the top gallery
to the hole in the ceiling and the
men scampered up on same, through
the hole and slid down a rope to
freedom. Before the last man was
across a guard, hearing the noise,
came upon the scene and the fifth
man, a large powerfully built man
had picked the guard up and was
about to dash him over the upper
most rail to his certain death while
he pleaded for his life and exacting
a promise that he would not further
interfere the fifth man dashed I'D
the plank to his freedom.