Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-22

dered keys to the cells sent by trusty
to the E and F cell blocks, but my
wife had beaten me to it,"
The warden said it probably was 20
minutes from the time ne was notified
of the fire until they were bringing out
bodies
C. w. Osborn. assistant Columbus fire
chief. said he was the first fireman to
arrive on the scene. He figured 1t was
not more than IL minutes from the time
the alarm came into the fire station
until he had his apparatus inside the
prison walls
Osborn said when he arrived on the
cell range prisoners and guards were
rushing about opening cells. Some
were using keys and others were bat
tering the locks of with axes" he said.
The work of opening the cells, he said.
seemed to be rather slow, but the heat
was so intense and the smoke so dense
that it was difficult for them to make
speedy Roadway"
The assistant fire chief said they be-
gan removing bodies within five min
utes after he arrived on the cell range
Osborn could throw little light on
whether guards were doing all In their
power to free the prisoners. The
guards said they were unlocking the
cells, but the prisoners said they were
not. I did not see any guards unlock
ing cells
Prisoners Seize Hose.
Prisoners impatient at the efforts of
firemen to extinguish the blaze which
was threatening the lives of their
friends. overpowered the firemen and
took the hose lines from them in an
attempt to play streams of water on
the cells where the prisoners were held,
Osborn said. He declared their efforts
were futile. as the hose lines we're not
long enough to reach the upper tiers
of cells where the prisoners were con-
fined
Liston G. Schooley, Cleveland prisoner,
fee when he discovered the flames. He
called the telephone operator. who re-
Sponded that he already knew of the
fire.
Cleveland johnson. a prisoner, came
running in and asked for keys to open
doors to get down to the cell blocks
where the fire was raging. Guard
Cooper came running in and asked for
keys also, but in the excitement and
| confusion I could not find the ones he
wanted. He left and then came back,
reported that he could not get through
and asked what he should do. l told
| through any way he could.
"I began to realize the seriousness
of the situation and ordered the hospi-
tai nurses in to make ready to care
for the injured"
Night Capt. John Hall said he had
Just arrival to go on duty when the
fire was discovered. but had not yet
| taken over his duties. II ran down
to the cell block. and seeing the dense
smoke was suffocating the prisoners
ordered the windows on the east side
broken in to allow fresh air to them, v
Hall said
Capt. Hall said he did not know what
guards were on duty. AS it was Just al
the time the day shift was leaving and
the night shift coming on duty.
Whose duty is it to unlock the cells
| in case of f1re?" Director Griswold
asked
1T is the duty of the guards" Hall
replied.
Capt. Hall said there originally had
I been IL keys to the fatal cells, but that
one of them had been lost since last
Thanksgiving. The keys were in du-
in opposite tiers.
unlock cells and he was overcome by
the smoke and fell several times
Prisoners finally carried him out.
Guards Baldwin and Little started to
unlock the cells, but both of them went
| down had to be taken to the hos
! pitaI. l suppose they both had keys.
| Director Griswold sought to have
Guards Baldwin and Little brought in
| for questioning, but the hospital re-
ported they were not in condition to
/ testify.
Edward Jenkins, sergeant of the
guard, said:
IT had no instructions in case Of
fire. except to guard the gates
Deputy Warden James w. Wood.
ard said he was outside the prison
when he saw the smoke and flame.
coming from the inside. He rushed tc
the prison and found that all cells ir
the vicinity of the fire had been un-
locked except the ones in the top
ranges. He said it probably was 20
minutes before he could get to the top
of the cell ranges to let the prisoners
| 0llf