The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-11-04
Prisoners Made Desperate
Over Loss of Parole
Hope, Belief.
WARDEN, THREE KILLED
Believe Two of Convicts
Committed Suicide.

BH tHftoG PTFSS
NEW YORK. Nov. 4~.-Rihemen,
special guards armed with riot guns
and machipe gunners were ordered
on duty at all prisons here today to
prevent a repetition of the murder
Gus outbreak in the Tombs Wednes-
day in which four men were killed
and three wounded.
A feeling of unrest prevails among
the thousands of criminals. authori-
ties believe, and they have been
afraid for weeks that a wholesale
outbreak would be attempted.
1t came suddenly Wednesday and
the Tomhs guards were caught un-
aware. Three notorious criminals
tried to shoot their way out, and al
most, succeeded.
They killed Warden Peter Mallon
and Jeremith Murphy. a guard Two
of them, Robert Berg and Hyman
Amberg, were killed. The third,
Michael RedD McKenna. was dying
in a hospital today. Daniel O'Con-
nor. a guard. was in the same hos
pital, seriously wounded. The other
casualty was ]. A. Studwell, an Of
flee worker, hit in the hand by a
stray bullet as he witnessed the
siege from an eighth-story window.
Seen by Hundreds
The battle was witnessed by hun
dreds of Office workers and other
spectators from the big buildings
surrounding the tombs. whose win
dows look down IN the jail yard. In
the yard, the prisoners were shot
down after they had withstood attack
for more than half an hour. A riot
call had been SEM out and police
converged on the prison from every
part Of the city. Rifles. machine
guns and revolvers were brought
into play and the prisoners. shooting
the prison yard at any living
thing that showed. were under fire
the prison walls. the roof. win
dows and from the Office buildings
Many bullet wounds were found In
their bodies, but spectators said all
three turned their weapons on them
when, wounded and outnum
they decided tc give up the
fight and die rather than be taken
alive.
The attack came at 3:1t in the aft
ernoon. The three men we're pris-
oners or the fifth tier Of cells.
Feign Illness
Feigning Illness as excuse TO be
brought to the ground foC~ of the
prison. the three dashed for the
front entrance. There they met
Louis Torch, the keeper on duty.
and demanded his keys.
Go to hell was the retort of the
guard as he ran for the zeal Of the
prison, taking the keys with him.
David Lynch, a prison van driver.
who had just arrived with a load of
prisoners. came in from the street
and opened fire on the bandits. driv-
ing them toward the warden's office.
Warden Shot
Warden Mallon. hearing the firing,
~ VIC w ~ lis NCls
The bandits turned their fire on him
as he came out. A bullet passed
through his arm. entering his body,
lodging in his chest below the heart.
He died in a hospital several hours
later.
Frustrated in the attempt to leave
the prison by the center street gate,
the three ran to the rear. There
they encountered jeremiah Murphy
and Daniel O'Connor, gate keepers
and again demanded the keys. Muir
ply was killed and O'Connor wound
ed when they refused to unlock the
gate.
Not daring to take the time to
the keepers for the keys, the
bandits entrenched themselves be-
hind a pile of coal.
BY that time policemen had
reached upper windows in surround
Ing office buildings that commanded
the prison yard. Their fire made the
coal pile barricade untenable and
the bandits took refuge in the small
guard house that is built into the
wall.
Commits Suicide
All but Berg. Spectators in tn,
office buildings saw him stop and lif,
his gun to his head. At a cry from
one of his pals he lowered the gun.
bat raised it to his temple again. 1t