Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-23
CONVICT STRIKERS
SET NEW RECORD
1923 Remain Defiant in Kan
SaS After More Than 49,
Hour Stretch.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LANSING, Kans., June ga new
State Penitentiary endurace record
against the hunger cure" was estab.
lished today by 32S convicts who bar
rica6ed themselves and IA captive
guards in the prison coal mine at IL
o'clock Tuesday morning and re-
manned defiant after more than 80
hours of self-imprisonment.
In three previous strikes. in which
prisoners shut themselves in the mine
in unsuccessful efforts to obtain
special privileges. 3S hours was the
longest time the leaders could hold the
men below the surface. On all occa-
sions the guards, held in the damp
dungeon on the 720-foot level were
unframed.
Request Is Refused.
A telephone call from the mine to
Deputy Warden X. II. Hudspeth, in
charge, asking that wives of the
guards be permitted to talk
to their husbands, was received
last night and was interpreted as the
first indication the mutineers were
weakening. The request was refused,
however, and the unidentified spokes-
man for the prisoners informed the
All remained quiet above ground
following a riot Tuesday night, in
in which a guard was stabbed and
prisoner believed to have been
wounded when more than 500 pris-
oners in b dollhouse overpOwered
their guards and attempted break,
with the reported intention or burn
ing the prison Irvine factory. Hud-
speth quelled the uprising by firing
ing out extra guards.
Cigarettes and Coal.
Tn line with the policy to refuse
concessions 10 the strikers, authori-
ties remained firm in their refusal TO
approve a cigarette issue, Which
Saused a demonstration ending An the
.~utiny. Hudspeth announced the au-
thorities were undecided as to final
action on the convict ultimatum-"No
cigarettes, no coal"
The present mutiny is the first
caused by a demand for tobacco. In
1900 approximately 200 prisoners shut
themselves in the mine after a de-
mand for fewer pigs feet. They sur
rendered after SO hours, and in 1912
the miners again barricaded them
selves for nine hours as a protest
against their food. Last July 300
convicts remained under ground for
IS hours after complaining of unclean
bed linen.
Kept i'm Cells.
Strict disciplinary measures have
been taken by Hudspeth. The 120
"hard-boiled" convicts employed in
the Irvine factory were kept in their
cells yesterday. A machine gun COM
mands the mine entrance and prison
yard for disciplinary purposes"
while extra guards are ready for an
emergency. Several identified as lead
ers in the dollhouse brawl were
placed in solitary confinement on a
bread and water diet.
While II of the ii captive guards
have families here, little concern was
expressed by their wives for their
safety. The women pointed to pre-
vious strikes as evidence their hus-
bands probably would be unframed
They were somewhat anxious, how
ever. about inability to get food to
the guards.
Warden Approves Methods.
Warden w. II. Mackey was due
back today from Texas, where he went
to obtain a prisoner. He approved
Hudspeths methods in a telegram,
stating, Glad you are dealing with an
iron hand, making no concession to
their childish demands for cigarettes"
They may require some hot shot;
accommodate them," the warden's
telegram concluded.
Hot shot" was interpreted by pris-
on authorities to mean bullets if
necessary"
With electric lights in the mine cut
off, Hudspeth expected the strikersG
might be ready to leave their dungeon
today.