New Britain herald., 1929-07-23
PROBE PROPOSED
 IN PRISON REVOLT
SuIlen C0nViCtS Back in CelIs-
 State to Check Cause

Danncmora, N. Y, July 23 tPl- Clinton prison. known throughout the underworld as "Siberia,' today was nearing normal after the fail urc yesterday of 1900 desperate convicts to battle their way to lib- erty and after a night spent under the sleepless eyes of scores of guards reinforced by 14 state +troopcrs.
 The hoots and misses and raucous 1 laughter flung by the conquered ! prisoners at the guards last night after they were bulldogged into re- i turning to their cells, leaving three ! of their fellow rioters dead. had ceased today. Instead there was sul . ! len silence, or, at most. a guarded grumbling.
 Investigation Today { Prison, state and county authori- ties were prepared to investigate thoroughly today the background of the riot which led to the simul- taneous storming of three walls by inc battalions of desperadoes yes 1 terday morning.
 IL appeared. probable that the state department Of correction. represented by Phillip G. Roosa, would sift the persistent report here that the battle had its motive in the fact that the men had asked for new potatoes instead of old and also wanted a full holiday in the wards Sunday, requests that had been refused. They have had half ! of Sunday for hascba games. band concerts and other forms of amuse- Iment
 Governor Roosevelt expects 10 learn the facts at first hand when i he inspects the institution next ] Monday
 Warden Harry NJ. Kaiser in a statement placed responsibility for the outbreak on a group of "lifers' sent 10 the prison from other state penal institutions for discipline. Clinton was definitely set aside more than a score of years ago as a punishment" prison for tough guys"
 Many Long Term Men
 At the time the cOnvicts swOopcd down on their guards, there were HIS serving life sentences. 400 serv- ing 20 years up. and others with shorter terms, bringing the total 10 1,5eS. The trouble said the warden. had been in the air for weeks. The break came as 1 1.30O of these men left the huge mess hall where they had breakfastcd. Suddenly they began to mill about, like hor- nets coming out of a disturbed nest, | The inside guards tried 10 beat | their way to the ring leaders, but 1 they were overpowered.
 i Then all the pent-up passion of ! the prisoners famed forth. They spranG 10 separate tasks as though from long drills. They fired the car pcntcr and the weave shops. anG smashed inc dynamo and left the lnSiljullOl without llS or power
 Siren Warns Town
 The prison siren screamed the "prison break" tocsin and the whole town graspcd weapons and started 'or inc walls The convicts formed human pyramids like circus aero bats fiinging the topmost man to the edge of liberty .on the wall above The guards guns spat and the pris- oncrs fell back. three dead, the others beginning 10 cowor.
 Seeing at last that the break was a lost cause, some Of the men re- turned 10 their cells and some barri- caded themselves in a Storehouse The riot lasted moro than five hours
 Prison authorities saw in the out break an enactment Of what might have happened several months age If the "peachinG" of Harry Ross. ar
 inmate. had not revealed q prison CTS arsenal Of reVoIyors rifles knives and 'enouGh dynamite tC blow up ,he whole place. Ross got q pardon for his revelation anC brought down on his head th" threat of those he had reported 10 "geI
 him inside or out"