Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-02
Officials Deny Reports That
Second Outbreak Was Made
at Breakfast Time.
RING LEADERS HELD
PENDING FULL PROBE
Word of Clash Is Kept From Town.
Warden Refuses to Call on
Troops for Aid.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
UNITED STATES PENITENTIARY,
LEAVENWORTH, Kans, August a.
Official announcement was made here
today that the mutiny in which one
convict was killed and three injured
was definitely at an end and that the
prison was quiet.
Denial was made that a fresh out
break occurred among prisoners in the
mess hall this morning. Reports had
been circulated outside the prison that
large group of convicts refused to eat
breakfast and hurled tableware about
the dining room
Ringleaders of the muttly. it was un-
derstood, were being helS in confne-
ment today, pending th~~rough inves-
tigation of the outbreak.
1t was reported Department of Justice
agents were en- route TO The prison 10
conduct an inquiry.
Situation Is in Hand.
officials indicated that the situation
was we'll in hand and that no further
trouble of serious nature was anticl-
pated.
The outbreak yesterday is said to
have started when the narcotic inmates
rebelled at the noon meal against
Spanish rice, which is frequently served
at the prison.
AS the convicts marched into the
mess hall there were mutteringS against
Spanish rice. A few of the bolder
spirits hurled bowls of rice at dining
room guards and the demonstration
then became general. About 900 con-
victs are fed at one time.
The riot at the prison here yesterday
lasted more than a half day before it
was Quelled.
Mike Martinez, a Mexican, who had
served one year of a 30year term, was
shot to death. Another prisoners leg
was so badly mangled by gunShot that
it was amputated at the prison hospital.
| Three others were in the hospital suf-
/ fering from severe gunshot wounds,
! while several were injured only Slightly.
The last of the rioting prisoners was
! in bis cell and the prison was quiet last
last night. Guards with machine guns
mounted on the prison walls prevented
any escapes during the disturbance.
There were numerous reports as to
the cause of the outbreak. but prison Of
/ ficials declined to confirm or deny any
! of them.
The hurting of food and the porcelain
! dishes marked the beginning of the
/ riot shortly after 1900 of the 3,758 pris-
oners in the institution, entered the
mess hall after they had listened to
! plea by Capt. P. j. Kearny in command
! of the hall, to return to their cells. An
| other demonstration was staged and the
! convicts armed with knives and forks
and clubs obtained by breaking furni-
ture, flocked into the jail yard.
! Riot Inside Cell Houses.
Armed guards arrived several minutes
| later and with command to the con-
| victS to return to their cells, fired
volley of shots from their riot guns.
! Several prisoners fell and the others
went to their cells.
Inside the cell houses. the riot began
| in earnest The convictS using the
knives and forks and crow bars and
other tools obtained in the jail yard,
tampered with triplicate locks on the
cell tiers, broke down cell doors and
shattered windows
The riot extended in the afternoon to
all sections of the prison. but the entire
| prison was not in a state of mutlny at
once.
1t was reported that The last disturb
ancc was in the middle mess hall at the
| evening meal, the prisoners milling
about" The leaders were quickly taken
/
| to their cells.
Warden Refuses TO Call Troops.
None of the prisoners had firearms
| during the disturbances and none OF the
prison officials was injured.
Warden Thomas B. White refused to
call on soldiers at Fort Leavenworth
nearby for assistance, although guards
Of hte United States disciplinary bar
racks at the fort were held in readiness
| for any emergency.
News of the outbreak did not reach
the public at Leavenworth until
o'clock in the afternoon, the prison per-
sonnel handling the situation with
strict secrecy in compliance with orders
from Washington. The discharge OF
riot guns, breaking of glass and the
! shouts of the convictS attracted the at-
tention of residents in the northern
part of the town. The noise was at its
| height about o'clock.