New Britain herald., 1929-12-24
Dapping Presents Report of Chief of Police - Heroism of Guards, City Officers and Troopers Is Praised in Statement.


 graphic story of the recent Auburn prison outbreak to the Associated Press, bulletin by bulletin, while prisoners and officials were strus- Sling for mastery inside the historic structure, tells here the first 'inside' story of the revolt, as reported 10 Mayor Osborne of Auburn by Chief Of Police Bills, leader of the forces of the law. TcXtual excerpts of the report are combined with the obscr- Nations of Mir. Dapping. for many years Auburn representative of the Associated Press,)
 By w. o. DAPPING
 Auburn, N. Y, Dec. A P)-Whcn the fragments of testimony now be- ing gathered in three prison inves:i- cations have been pieced together. the resulting mosaic will present what perhaps is the most thrilling chapter in the history of the penal system of New York state.
 That most of the facts will be buried somewhere in official archives is probable, but from the welter Of excitement has been constructed the first connectel narrative of the mu- tiny of Wednesday. December II 1929, during which, with its hostages it's carnage and it's heroic rescues, Auburn prison was lost and won by the forces of law and order.
 To the record of facts obtained at first hand during the thrilling drama have been added the ordered state ments of principals. None surpassed the official report of Chief of Police Chester J. Bills, of the Auburn police department, made yesterday to Mayor Charles D. Osborne.
 There had been hints of something amiss, too vague, however, to D2 traceable. To all surface appear anCes business as usual was the or der at 10 a. m. on December |.
 Out of the cell block there Was air of suppressed excitement, At least a score of convicts knew the time had come for a "break." Other inmates knew, too, although perhaps vaguely, that desperate episode was imminent.
 Warden Jennings closed some business with Mortimer J. Clark. It was Clark who caught the first audible warning of ''sonething down below" and the warden started to investigate.
 In that part of the administration building known as the "box offico,' where everything sent to the con- vcts is opened and examined. David J. Winne, guard, was at work when an inmate called him to the wicket What do you want?" he asked
 Faced With Pistol
 Winne looked into the muzzle of a pistol.
 "Open the door," commanded the convict.
 Winne darted to a door opening on the prison yard. In q split sec ond, before the convict could thrust the gun through the grill and fire, Winne was out through the door.
 Thus at a moment between 10:lS and 10:20 a. m., was the original plan of the desperadoes thwarte l. Had they captured Winne in the box office" egress to the front yard would have been the matter of min utes and just beyond was the outer gate.
 Down to the ground level anl back to the south corridor raced the chagrined convict. Already the sub jcction of guards had begun. timed 10 the expected capture of the "box officc"
 Principal Keeper George A. Dura- ford was hailed as he left his office at the guard room end of the sou,h corridor leading to the chapel, by |, convict said to have been M1X Becker He ignored the call. The first vollcy of shots startled the prison.
 StumbIcS to Door
 Durnford fell with several bullets in his chest. Despite his wounds th4 "P. K" stumbled toward the door, only to drop again, this time to rise no more.
 Auburn prison was in q furorc.
 warden Jennings was seized by three convicts and rushed from the kitchen to a stairway leading to the chapel. They rushed him to the South gallery, second tier. Here the first keeper they met was subduc l and. relieved of his gun. The con- vets then forced the other guards to open the cells of the emergency isolation block. pawlak and SulJi- van took command.
 We arc going out." shouted Sul- llvan "Comc along if you want to If not, stay in your cells and shat your heads.'
 Not more than a handful joined them.
 Throughout the prison, guards, civilian employees in the Bertillon room and to storekeepers with their convict aides barricaded themselves from the demons who now held the corridor. The self-imprisoned work CTS were shut off hoplessly from aid Ing their fellows who were falling outside.
 Captain Byron Sawyer was at the desk m the Auburn city hall police station when the telephone bell rang. This is Auburn prison," he heard an excited voice shout over the wira. Another riot is in force here. The warden and some of the guards have been captured. Get all the help you can and come at once."
 Help Is Mustered
 
 Sawyer called Chief Bills from the