New Britain herald., 1930-04-22
GUARDS HESITANCY
 BLAMED IN DEATHS '. OF OHIO CONNECTS
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- '(Continued From First Page) pacity for which it was, intended, when, the fire, believed of incendiary origin, and famed by a stiff wind. swept through the upper tiers of the four blocks, spreading death and suffering in it's wake.
 The ruins of the cell block broke into flames again this morning. A fire company quickly quenched the blaze.
 Ono Prisoner Escapes
 Only ono convict escaped follow ing last nights fire, it was reported today. Michael Born, g, sent up from Wood county in 1929 to serve l to '15 years for burglary, was re- corded as missing from the hospital where he was treated last night.
 Meanwhile an investigation of the fire. launched, today by Franklin County Prosecutor John Chester, Jr, was halted abruptly when Governor Cooper directed State Attorney Gen eral Gilbert Bettman to take charge of the.inquiry Chester had recom- mended that Warden Thomas be suspended temporarily, pending in- vestigation, and had ordered tele- phones removed from the. warden's 8 office.
 Several state officials protested Chester's actions, and this was fol- lowed by the governors announce ment designating Bettman as the chief investigator.
 Governor Cooper arrived at the penitentiary during the morning and went to the warden's residence where the investigation, launched last night, was continued.
 Wants Free Rein
 Chester said T have asked Vel fare Director Griswold to suspend temporarily Warden Thomas, with out criticism, so that prisoners will be free to- talk and give any -infor- nation without possible influence of the person over them.'
 Advised that Chester had ordered the warden's phones removed, Dale Donithan, one of Governor Cooper's secretaries, accompanied by a Ma tional Guard officer, rushed from the prison to the executive mansion to protest the prosecutors action to the states chief executive.
 Prosecutor Chester and two mem- bers of his staff, accompanied by Warden Thomas, went into a closed conference shortly after the prose cutor reached the prison
 Approximately 317 Ohio . state penitentiary convicts lay dead in the temporary morgue, mute testimony of the disastrous fire. Trapped be- bind their locked cell doors, the men had no chance to escape the flames and dense smoke which raced through the tiers. Counts of the dead varied from 276 by prison at. taches to SS6 by hospital attend ants. Newspapermen counted ,305 bodies early today. t..
 AS the dead were being prepared for burial in the coliseum of the state fair grounds by corps of under takers, state officials, headed bS Warden Preston E. Thomas and Di. rector of Welfare H. H. Griswolt continued their investigation Of tho fire, which all agreed was of incen. diary origin.
 15O in Lower Ranges
 About 150 prisoners who were ir the lower ranges of the cell block. when the fire broke out were in tht penitentiary hospital today, man, of them seriously injured.
 The flames were discovered short ly before 5:S0 p. m. Within severa hours the fire had been brough under control but the suffocatin, smoke continued to take it's tol among the convicts. In the adjoin ing cell blocks men screamed to bt released. And when the prisor officials capitulated to their de mands the wide penitentiary yart became a screaming mass of sra, clothed men.
 Before two hours had passed thi mass of men, picking their wa, among countless bodies spread ovel the yard, became a threatcnin, menace. Some of them cut the fir, hose which continued to play or flames that spread to the priso1 cotton and woolen mills. Other hurled stones and slugged tn, guards that were trying to maintai, order. In the dining hall dishe and tables. were upset.
 .7r All Policemen Called
 Every available policeman il Columbus was summoned for dut, both within the prison and on tn, outside. A sub-machine gun in tn, guard room protected the entranc, to the yard.
 TWO companies of regular arm, troops and 1,500 Ohio Nationa Guardsmen were stationed at strate ZIG places about the penitentiary Every guard on. both day and nigh shifts was on, duty.
 Stll the thousands of nmillin: prisoners in, the yard refused to bt quletd. When they were ordered tt assemble in the dining room man, refused to obey. Later they wcr, ordered into the remaining eel blocks and dormitories but they in sisted on staying in the yard, crowd ing about the bodies which. were ar ranged in long rows five and si, deep.
 Except for minor disturbance; therei was no trouble. however Anon i've hours after the fire was brough under control the ranks of scantil, clad convicts began to thin out ant atmidnight only a few of them wcr, left in the yard.
 Beacon Lights Used
 Beacon lights and arc Iamns placed upon the main wall for pro lection played down. on the ghastl, scene. Slowly the work of removin, bodies to the fairgrounds proceeded Far into the early morning hours tn,