Evening star., 1927-06-22
"HUNGER CURE" ORDERED.

"HUNGER CURE" ORDERED.
Kansas Convicts, Barricaded i'm Mine,
to Be Starved Out.
LANSING, Kans., June % P).-
State penitentiary authorities today
ordered the hunger cure" treatment
continued for the 328 convicts who
barricaded themselves in the prison
coal mine shortly before noon yes
terday as a protest against refusal of
Il cigarette issue.
While officials expressed regret that
the IA guards held in the mine by the
strikers would also suffer from hun
ger. they secuted fears of relatives
that the guards would be injured or
molested in any way.
AS the mutineers neared the end
of their first "a hours of self -imprison-
ment, Deputy Warden r. H. Huds-
peth, in charge, gave no indication
that overtures of any kind would be
made to them.
They'll come out when they are
hungry enough" he told guards.
Shots Quell Fight.
While the convicts and their captive
guards remained barricaded in the
mine, rebellious factions above ground
had abandoned rafting cell doors as
we'll as their battle cry-"no cigaret-
tes, no coal"
Inspired by the success OF their
companions in overpowering the mine
guards and blocking the shaft at the
72Ofoot level shortly before noon yes
terday, several score prisoners in a
dollhouse last night started q riot.
Although they overpoWered their
guards and locked them up, the con-
victs quickly surrendered when extra
guards appeared with riot guns. and
Deputy Warden Hudspeth opened fire
on them with a pistol.
For Gods sake, warden, stop shoot
ing" shouted Harry Baird, a lifer
from Wichita. Spare these mems
lives and we'll be quiet"
Guard Is Stabbed.
Baird and others identified as lead
ers in the fight then hastened to
admit guards and to free those locked
in cells.
While the mine was believed to
have been captured without blood
shed, j. r. Thomas, a guard, was
stabbed in the cellhouse brawl and a
prisoner fell as though wounded when
Hudspeth fired. The guard was ex
pected to recover. None of the con-
victs had asked medical treatment.
When order was restored nine pris-
onerS had been put in solitary con-
finement, while the electric lights in
the mine were turned off, leaving a
dungeon lighted only by miners
lamps, for which a limited fuel supply
was available.
Hudspeth, in charge of the prison
during the absence of Warden w. II.
Mackey and veteran of three simi-
lar mine barricade demonstrations
here, showed little apprehension as
to the outcome of the mutiny.
Prison officials said the mutiny ap
parently was well planned. They
attributed the demonstration to the
demand for cigarettes, sale Of which
recently was authorized in Kansas
after two decades in which diStribu-
ton of tobacco in this form was pro-
hibited.
Smuggling Is Feared.
The cigarettes were refused and
would continue to be withheld on the
ground it would increase the fire haz-
ard and was an easy means of SNUG
Cling narcotics into the prison, off,
cials announced.
Monday night the prisoners ratified
cell doors and shouted their ulti-
matum, mo cigarettes, no coal.'
When the mine detail was assigned
yesterday the men asked for an extra
supply of carbide for their lamps.
This was refused. They entered the
x,>i,,a in, M npIarlu Fa Si,fcr huf yuhan
the cage carrying the last detail
reached the bottom timbers were
forced across it and the guards, armed
only with clubs, were overpoWered.
AS was the case when the convicts
barricaded themselves in the mine last
July, all efforts to communicate with
them failed. Their food supply was linn
tied and Hudspeth predicted they
would soon surrender, as they did last
year after 36.hour siege.
May Butcher Mules.
Prison officials seemed chiefly con-
cerned over the plans Of the convicts
above ground to assist those in the
mine. Several files had been sharpen
ed and were used in the cell house
fight. Reports were also current that
had the break been successful the men
WOuiu nave SSL AE6 W tI4C t"IiiC LoS-
tory in the hope that they could free
the miners and escape during the con-
fusion.
Warden Mackey, en- route to Texas
to return a prisoner, declared that
with Hudspeth in charge. he was con-
cerned mostly as to the fate of mules
in the mine. He feared the men might
butcher them for food as they threat
ened to do in previous strikes. The
mules We're saved in previous strikes
by old prisoners. who declared they
were ready to fight for the animals.
Lacy Simpson and FL. E. Peach.
members Of the State Prison Board,
summoned to investigate the mine
strike, arrived just in time for the cell
house riot. They issued statements
saying that Hudspeth has the situa-
ton we'll in control and there was no
cause to fear further trouble. More
than 100 guards are available in case
Of emergenCy