New Britain herald., 1929-08-02
One Killed in RiOting

enworth Kans.. Aug. ? LP,-One convict was killed, four other pris- --oners were shot, and three danger ously and several were slightly iu- jured in a riot at the prison here ,~yesterday that lasted more than q }shalf day before it was quclled ts Mike Martinez, a Mexican, who had served one year of a 80 year 44Ierm. was shot to death. Another esprsoners leg was so badly mangled '~by bullet that it was amputated at ,'Ihe prison hospital. Three others .s,were in the hospital suffering from @.severe gunshot wounds while sever- al were injured only slightly.
 s. The last of the rioting prisoners was in his cell and the prison was quiet late last night. Guards with .rmachine guns mounted on the prls- ,4.on walls prevented any escapes dur the disturbance.
 Reports Are Vague
 m There were numerous reports as sto the cause of the outbreak but prison officials declined to confirm or deny any of them. One report 4.said the riot. which broke out in the ~mess hall at noon. was a protest against prison grade food and the -absence of ice in drinking water. NAnother said the prisoners who had '~been permitted to read newspaper accounts of riots in eastern prisons had yielded to the suggestion. A fthird report laid it to heat-CrazCd narcotic addicts, the temperature Standing at 1903 degrees at noon -yesterday. A1sX .@ The hurling of food and the porce- glain dishes marked the beginning of the riot shortly after 2.200 Of the o~3,75S prisoners in the institution en- -atered the mess hall after they ha Listened to a plea by Captain P. J sskearny, in command of the hall, Ic 04return to their cells. Another dem. ~onstration was staged and the coa. ssNicts armed with knives and forky &and clubs obtained by breaking fur. s,niture, Hooked into the jail yard.
 Armed Guards Arrive
 k Armed guards arrived seyera "minutes later and with a command to the convicts to return to their xcells. fired a volley of shots from ~their riot guns. Several prisoner, ~fell and the others went 10 their -.cells.
 Inside the cell houses, the riot be- ~gan in earnest. The convicts, using the knives and forks. and crow bars Land other tools obtained in thc @alaii yard. tempered with triplra, < flocks on the cell tiers. broke dowr, cell doors, and shattered windows. m The riot extended in the afternoon Hto all sections of the prison but tn, entire prison was not in state oi mutiny at once.
 e It was reported that the last dis. fturbance was in the middle mess sshall at the evening meal, the pris. toners milling about" The leader; sTwere quickly taken into custody. an all the convicts sent to their cells e None of the prisoners had fire arms during the disturbances ant ~none of the prison officials was in. sjured. EE O Warden Thomas B. White refuse, @to call on soldiers at Fort Lcayer. worth nearby for assistance. Il. though guards of the United Stat.s -4disciplinary barracks at the for ~were held in readiness for an> 'emergenCy.
 News Secret Until F. NJ
 News of the outbreak did no reach the public at Leavenwortl until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. tn, sprison personnel handling the situ cation with strict secrecy in compli, ance with orders from Washington The discharge of riot guns. breakina of glass and the shouts Of the cor. -Nicts attracted the attention of resi-
 dents in the northern part of tn. town. The noise was al it's heigH --about , o'clock.
 The names of the ring leaders al, 1njured men Were not made public 4off1clal statements regarding tn, ~mutiny came from Washington Warden White explained that T., was not permitted 10 give out in formation regarding the prison.