Evening star., 1928-11-25
BY JOSEPH PULLING FISHMAN.
Penolopist aud Author OF "crucibles OF
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Pe"0l0'''f ana SSinGr. crims.. '0f cr"c'0'es 0'
THERE were 80 prisoners in the
Bronx County jail in New York.
Among them was John F. Nc.
i Cahe, prisoner young in years,
but with long criminal record.
He was neither better nor worse nor
different In any of q dozen other ways
from thousands of other prisoners.
Guard Morris Broderson went along
the tiers opening the doors of the priS-
oners' cells to let them into the corridor
for their daily exercise. He unlocked
toward the one adjoining. Without
word McCahe stepped out into the cor.
ridor, revolver in each hand, and sent
two bullets crashing into Brooersons 8
body killing him instantly.
Leapine over the dead guards BODY,
McCabe dashed toward the lower tiers,
holding In his teeth the bunch OF keys
which had fallen from Brodersons
hand. Guard Horgan, who had been
opening the cells on the tier Just below
heard the shots and raced up the stair.
way. McCabe, meeting him, tired point
blank. Horgat dropped dead.
Meanwhile other guards were hurry
ing up the stairs. They opened the
third tier and met the killer, McCabe
for some reason did not fire at them,
but turned and ran toward a flre
escape, II was locked and barred, For
Ehe fraction Of a moment he hesltated,
looking coolly around him and calcu-
latin9 his chances Then he deliber.
ately raised the revolver to his head
and pulled the trigger,
A dangerous job that Of prison guard
Based upon the number killed IN the
metropolitan area OF New York during
the last two years, 1t is eight times
While the same ratio may not prevail
in all sections of the country, the
policeman, generally speaking, has
distinct advantage over the screw" in
what the insurance companies are
pleased TO. term life expectancy"
The grnatest source of danger to the
guard is from firearms which have been
SrnugEled into the institution. Just rs
they goA into the Bronx County Jail, so
they win continue to get into similar
institutions, Every experienced prison
guard knows that there may be guns N
his institution at any time and that ne
may be their first victim,
nut no matter how many guns the
prisoners may have, the guard Is not
permitted TO carry one himself And
time has proved the wisdom OF this.
Against q prisoner who has managed to
obtain q revolver. therefore, guard Is
practically detenSeless, But he Is In
sven greater danger with gun, as /
there would be q constant incentive for
prisoners 70 attack him with the idea Of
obtaining II,
#s&,*
THERE are still some Institutions In
the country. however. where the In
side guards ere permitted to carry fire- |
trouble. Incidentally, 1t Is just as dam
gerous to let the inside guards carry |
keys as 1t lis to permit them TO
have firearms. In the well administered |
prison, providing 1t is not undefmans |
ned, all inside guards are locked.in |
from the outside, so that they them.
selves have to be let out ct the end OF |
their tour Of duty, Where this is not |
done they are subject TO attack at any |
tiEne-attarks of the most vicious and |
SsVage nature which often result IN |
death or serious injury.
This Is exactly what happened IN the |
escape Of WhittemoFe from Maryland
institution. He kTaeW that some OF the |
INSIDE rusrds carried guns and keys, On |
q visit 70 this hospital he suddenly at |
tackled tia guard, Hoffman, hitting him
over the head with an iron bar, which !
he had concealed in his clothing, Then, |
taking a5Ruard.s keys and gun, he let |
himkRAf cut hf tilR hospital entrance |
and egcapad, Hoffman died the feilcW.
Ing day, and Whittemnre was hanged |
in Baltimore about two years later.
AlH While The Nhittelanre ease, due |
to his sle q ai1ee IN the criminal WORLD |
is an outstanding illustration OF the
daNgeF an inside guard constantly |
courts when he carries q gun or Keys, |
there ere many similar instances IN |
tha courae Of q year, some OF which DO |
not even become public,
To get an idea of how defenselesS Q |
prison guard really is under such eir' |
cuna6tences 1t must be realized how |
numerically inferior the ofaceTs are to |
the prisoners. An institution OF 500 ln- |
mates will not have more than 20 or
80 custedial afaceya on duty at one
time, 50 that there are from % to 80 |
inmates TO one guard.
Indeed, ] know Of some institutions |
in which there are ae many as 30 Or
50 prisoners TO one oficeF, As q matter |
Of TACT, three-fourtha OF the penal IN. |
stitutlona IN the United etates-that Is,
the larger !enes-are. grossly under:
luck that riots, mutinies and jail de-
liyeries do not occur with much greater
frequency. This undermanaing Ii
usually due to the limited apprepFia.
tons.
INMATES can easily set upon a guard
at q given signal and everwhelia him
with FnaFe force Of numbers. That this
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