New Britain herald., 1926-10-13
PRISONERS MUTINY
 IN DELAWARE JAIL; GUARDS OPEN FIRE
Six Of the 196 COnViCtS Wounded Dozen Women Included
 in Outbreak
ALL WERE CROWDED INTO
 65 CELLS IN BUILDING

Negro Women Start Trouble and
 Seven Trustees Liberate Others
 Terrific Battle Between Citizens
 Posse and Infuriated Convicts
 Ended Only by Fusilade of Shots.
 Media, Penna., Oct 13.-lPz- A nutiny among 196 prisoners in the Delaware county jail was subdued today after six of the prisoners had been shot by hastily deputized resi- dents.
 The prisoners, including a dozen women inmates, attempted to de- stroy the interior of the jail after they had been liberated from their cells by "trusties," who had knocked off the locks of the cell doors with iron bars. During the outbreak fires were started in several places.
 None of the prisoners was fatally wounded in the volley turned loose on them by the deputy sheriffs and police.
 A reduction of their food supply + of Hol by the prisoners as the cause of their outbreak.
 Night of Wild Disorder
 The outbreak followed night of wild disorder, the authorities said. There were 196 men and women crowded into the 65 cells of the Jail. Among them were twenty young negro women who recently had been sent to the prison from the Sleighton farms for incorrigibles. where they were alleged to have at tempted to start g. mutiny. This, pr. D. Marshall Harvey, chairman of the prison board, said was one of the causes of today's disorders.
 The young women shouting, curs- ing and taunting the men prisoners all night, had reused them, the off cals said, to a point of savage fury. many of the men inmates were negroes and they answered the women tauat for taunt. Throughout the night the five keepers were kept busy going from cell to cell trying to quell the fights and disturbances among the groups locked within.
 Rush from Cells
 Breakfast was taken to the prisoners about 8 a. n., but the food failed to quiet them. Suddenly, with wild yelling the seven trustees" most of whom were short term prisoners or men await ing trial, rushed out of their cells and before the guards could draw their pistols had taken possession of the jail
 Mbcrate Others
 Arming themselves with iron bars, the seven men ran madly up and down the first and second tiers of cells, smashing the locks and liberating the other prisoners. The guards In moment were confront ed with a frenzled mob of shrieking men and women, brandishing pieces of lead or table knives and forks which they had secreted in their cells.
 Fleeing from the cell corridors, the five keepers locked the doors behind them and took up posts at the watch towers on top of the 25 foot wall that surrounds the small jail yard.
 Fight Among Selves
 Finding their exit cut off the prisoners millcd around in the jail, | fighting among them selves and ! venting their fury on the interior of 1 the structure. Doors were torn off, | and bed clothing destroyed. Two of 1 the prisoners shovelled live coals out of the big kitchen ranges and ran through the milling inmates | with the flaming coals dropping from the shovel as they ran. Some of the coals fell among the bed clothing and soon the jail was filled with smoke from the burning blankets and mattresses.
 Meanwhile the keepers had noti- fled Warden George E. Allen and he asked help of Sheriff Isaac w. John- son, citizens and state police were quickly summoned and armed with shotguns obtained from the prison offices
 Terrific Battle Fnsues
 Throwing the doors of the prison open the officers. and nearly 100 citizens were met by the maddened inmates who tried to break through. met led pipe in the rain of falling blows. heads were cracked and men borne down. Little by littln the prisoners were forced back into the jail, but they were not yet sub dued. They fell back to re-organize their broken lines and then rushed gain.
 This time they were met with fusillade of bullets from pistols and shotguns. Under orders from the sheriff the shots were fired low sol as not to seriously wound any one. After six of the prisoners had fall en, the others retreated and soon were driven into their cells. Scores of primitive weapons were found on the prisoners.