The Washington times., 1929-07-22
1000 RIOT
At n. !.
PRISON

ALBANY, N. Y, July %
(I.N.S. "A detachment of
United States soldiers from
Plattsburgh and 100 State
troopers were, rushed to Dan.
nemora today to quell riot
of 1000 prisoners in Clinton
prison, according to word re.
ceiyed here by the State COM
mission Of correction.
Two guards and two convicts
have been shot in the outbreak.
The conyicts were attempting to
escape by climbing over the prison
wall when shot by guards.
Troops Called Out
The outbreak started while the
prisoners were marching out Of the
mess hall. after they had finished
their breakfast.
III five minutes, according to word
received by State prison officials at
Albany. the prisoners were rioting
in the prison yard, fighting among
themselves and with the guards.
For a few minutes there was
every indication Of general prison
delivery.
Warden Harry Kaiser, realizing
the situation was serious, telephoned
to the Plattsburgh Barracks for a
detachment of soldiers. He also
'phoned the State prison department,
which, in turn. asked the State
police headquarters to rush 100
troopers at once to the prison.
''ShOot.to.KilI" Order
Several hundred Federal soldiers
were sent to the prison by auto.
mobile. The Plattsburgh Barracks
are about 90 miles from the prison.
Forty State troopers from all
parts of northern New York reached
the prison a short time after the
call for help came from Warden
Kaiser.
With orders to shoot to kill, the
guards are lined up on the prison
wall and are holding the rioting con-
victs in the prison yard.
There is no danger now of a gen.
eral escape and things will be
quieted down as soon as the soldiers
and all the State police get there"
said Charles Jones, deputy State
prison commissioner.
There are 1850 convicts, many of
them serving life sentences, in the
prison. Warden Kaiser reported to
State officials here, however, that
only about 1000 of the convicts
were participating in the riot.
There are 130 guards at the
prison. Only for the fact that the
guards were heavily armed and that
they did not hesitate to shoot when
the convicts started climbing up the
wall, It was said, that all of the
prisoners might have escaped.
Riot Follows at Once
Warden Kaiser told prison of.
ficials he had no idea what started
the riot. Kaiser said the prisoners
were peacefully marching out of the
mess hall when, suddenly. two or
three voices were heard to yell:
Nov IS the time to make a
DFeAk IOr IE6euOus
Within a minute. 1t was said, the
riot was on in full swing.
The prisoners, brushing their
guards to one side and literally
tramping over each other, rushed
into the prison yard yelling and
screaming.
Man the walls and shoot to
kill" Warden Kaiser ordered the
guards as the convicts miIled about
the prison yard.
A second later, two shots rang
out and two convicts, who had been
trying to scale the walls. fell, ap.
parently. mortally wounded.
Other conyicts dragged their
wounded comrades to the prison
door. where they were picked up by
guards and taken into the hospital
Feared by Underworld
clinton is one of the States
oldest penal institutions. Prison of.
ficials said this was the first time
that a serious riot ever had oc.
CURED In that institution.
Clinton is the penal institution In
which only the most hardened and
unmanageable criminals are con.
fined.
1t is regarded with terror through.
out the underworld everywhere.
Prisoners who continue to act
tough" after withstanding the
rigors of Sing Sing and other insti-
tutions are invariably sentenced to
spend the remainder OF their terms
ia Clinton.