Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1926-10-02
A DESPERATE THROW
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Bob and his cohorts came dashing
after him but unable to open the
door picped up An iron cuspidor and
threw it through the glass panel
barely missing the Warden's scalp
by hairs breadth, thus for mo-
ment saving his life. This all hap
pened so quickly that it was just at
th s juncture that word of the
slaughter reached the outside guards
and Officer Much came rushing to
the guard. room with q shotgun just
as Bob had pitched the iron cuspidor
through the glass door and, before
he had gone further and with level
ed gun the officer threatened with
immediate death any one cross ny
the line between him and the dep
uty's door. Proterted with such
threats Sam Ford, a trusty who had,
charge of the ofvcers' dining room
in the guard-room rushed in, picked
up the Warden and carried him to
his residence in front. For this act
Ford later received pardon.
~.
- pERCHED AT BOTTOM
The writer was still perched on the
bottom of the stairs not daring TO
move to the right or left and ex-
perienced very close call to death
for the one on my right who had
more spirit of bravado than good
judgment kept haunting the officer
with the gun and admonishing him
with dire threats, daring him to
shoot, ETC., and each time he leveled
his gun our way / felt it was my
last moment. However after the
warden had been carried out of the
build ng the crowd subdued and we
were permitted to go our way l
rushed to my cell in which sanct-
uary / felt solace could be found.
I played a few tunes on my victrola
for that was all with which / could
soothe my unstrung nerves for un-
strung they certainly were.
WANTED TO BURN PRISON
Up to this point Perry, the most
hardened Of the attackers did not
realize that jail delivery was not
in progress or that it was not yet
possible. They all rushed into the
west cell block and as is customary
with a crowd when one suggests
something they all follow the lead,
some one suggested burning the
building down and kerosene cans
were quickly gathered together,
thrown on the wooden partitions
separating our cell-bIock from new
one then in progress of construction
and set afire. 1t was not long be-
fore the block was filled with smoke
and 1t became so rot that the glass
panes began to crack. To escape
suffocation for all was impossible
and to gain freedom even more re-
mote We were trapped like mice
in trap, Several, including my
self, appealed to Perry and con-
vinced him that escape was impos-
sible with the result that leader as
he was he ordered the fire put out
and as eagerly the followers set
about to obey his commands. II it
had, not been for the saneness of
this act no doubt different history
would have been written of that
fatal 18th day of December, 1921.
GUARDS FRIGHTENED
The guards were frightened be-
yond description and made no at
tempt to quell the disorder with the
result that riot and madness pre-.
dominated the entire afternoon. The
state police. some miles away, were
summoned but it was night before
they arrived. Those who signified a
willingness to be locked in their
cells were SO locked, otherwise they
were permitted to roam around the
cell block at wild chose to be locked
in. Perry coaxed and cajoled the