Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-04
CONVICT RIOT LEADERS TAKE
OWN LIVES TO END OUTBREAK
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
to kill the hostages if their demands
were not granted.
The death of Abe Virgins, guard, was
graphically described by John Snea,
guard, who carried his body from the
| front of the building at the command
of Daniels, ferocious leader OF the
mutiny.
virgins, have you said your pray
ers?" Daniels asked.
"Yes. Where do you want me to
stand?"
Right where you are"
Shot Through Head.
| Daniels stood a few feet from Wig
gins, Shea said, raised his pistol and
Shot the guard through the head. He
| fell dead, his body was thrown fTc--l
/ the building and then Daniels, wiz the
remark, You've been a pretty seed
| fellow" ordered Shea to pick uD the
| BODY and carry it to the besieg&r3.
| During the raging battle III e. baT-
rage of rifle and machine Cul fire, a
| Catholic priest, Father Pa: TX ONell,
placed two charges of dynamite beneath
| the walls of the prisoners stronghold
| to open a breach for a mass attack OF
! hundreds of besiegers. The explosions
failed to break down the walls.
| Cold-blooded execution of guards held
captive by the convictS added horror to
the mutiny.
Warden Francis E. Crawford, who
! defied the convicts, was shot in the bat
| tie, but was not believed seriously hurt.
! There were other casualties among the
besiegerS, how many it was impossible
to tell.
Throughout the night of battle flames
| flickered and smoke rolled from the
buildings fired by the mutinous prison.
erS. From every vantage point the
| besiegers, hastily called from nearby
| cities, poured bullets into the last
stronghold of the mutineers. But the
| $50 desperate men, deserted by 200
other muntineers yesterday afternoon,
battled on, issuing demand after de-
! mand and making good their threat
| to murder their guard hostages II they
were not allowed freedom.
Attackers Strength.
| It was conservatively estimated the
attackers, composed of prison guards,
police officers hastily summoned from
| other cities, volunteers and National
| Guardsmen, numbered about 500 men.
Within Cell House No. 3 were still about
| lou uCotJCLdtSiy AAOANAle1 Wv
| against the beseiging force.
| After dynamite and bullets failed to
rout the convicts and the slaughter of
the hostage guards continued, othcers
| in charge said they would bring heavy
artillery, 75-millimeter guns, into the
!, fray. 1t appeared then that the con-
| victs, knowing escape was impossible,
would sell their lives dearly.
From the stories told BY guards sent
l 49, oil tic
Daniels, desperate robber with record
| for viciousness, had led the mutiny from
the time of its inception.
One of Daniels leutenantS, Jimmy
| Pardue, was shot by his fellows to put
! him out of his misery" after he had
| been seriously wounded.
| The unprecedented mutiny broke out
| yesterday noon, when Pardue, con-
! victed bandit, shot Elmer Erwin, a
guard, seized his gun and keys ard,
assisted by Daniels, unlocked tile doors
of the cell houses.
Prisoners Get Control.
BY midday the riot was in full swing.
! Prisoners took possession Of the arsenal
| and gained control of the prison.
! Three guards were killed outright in
| the beginning of the mutiny. Build
ings were set afire as the riot pro-
| crossed.
Late in the afternoon a counter
attack by massed guards resulted in
| the surrender of 200 prisoners who re-
fused to continue the battle. These
were herded into the bull pen," while
at least $50 of the convicts took refuge
in dollhouse No. 3, from which they
| directed the fight.
Starting at 4 o'clock in the after
noon the ringleaders began sending out
ultimatums demanding their freedom
and threatening to kill the ten guards
they held as hostages. They demanded
the warden furnish them with automo-
| biles for safe transportation to safe
| distance, where the hostages would be
released unframed.
| These demands the warden refused
and at o'clock the body of Guard
Files was hurled from window of the
| embattled dollhouse. His death was
followed at intervals by the killing Of
| other guards.
BY far the most spectacular feat of
| the prolonged fight was performed by
Father O'Neil. Enchanting, II can
stand this no longer" the priest volun-
| walls of the dollhouse in an effort
to blast an opening. William Ranger
! offered to assist him in the effort.
Makes Two Trips.
Covered by barrage from machine
guns, the priest made two trips with
| dynamite across the Enclosure to the
| walls of the mutineers' fortress. He
ran swiftly in the Pickering light of the
burning buildings and despite the fire
directed on him by the convicts made
the trips safely. After long delay in
setting off the dynamite the heavy ex-
plosion shook the walls OF the entire
| prison, but the walls of the dollhouse
were virtually unchanged.
Fire losses to the penitentiary during
the battle were heavy. Cell buildings,
Nos. and 2, and the building contain
| ing the mess hall and chapel were de-
stroyed. Dollhouse No. caught fire
but the flames were eXtinguished. Great
quantities of food and equipment were
lost in the flames.
Father ONeil made hard run with
the heavy charge of dynamite and re-
| turned safely to the warden's house,
| Just outside the walls. The firing then
died down preparatory to the exploding
| of dynamite.
| All the windows in the wardens house
crashed in and the chandeliers fell as
the first charge of dynamite exploded
Hats were blown off men outside the
walls.
Danny Daniels was seen at the WIN
dow of the dollhouse just before the
dynamite was exploded.
| It is believed that Daniels fired upon
the priest. So quickly was the charge
exploded after he was seen that he may
have been struck by the debris.
A heavy pail of smoke rushed over the
dollhouse and the walls toppled out.