Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-22
Prosecutor Asks
Warden Be
Suspended.
WIFE SENT KEYS
TO OPEN CELLS
Gov. Cooper Rushes
to Prison to Lead
PrObers.
By the Associated Press.


COLUMBUS, Ohio, April "a
A clash between county and State
authorities in the investigation of
the disastrous Ohio Penitentiary
fire here last night, and the sus-
pension of a prison guard who was
charged with having refused to
give up tier range keys to cells in
which BIT convicts persisted, today
marked the progress of the in
quiry into the tragic blaze.
The clash came early in the
day when, after Franklin County
Prosecutor John j. Chester, jr.,
had recommended suspension of
Warden Preston E. Thomas pend
ing investigation, and had ordered
telephones removed from the war
den's office, Gov. Myers v. Cooper
stepped in and upset the prose-
cutor'S plans.
The States chief executive took
the investigation out of the hands
Of Chester by naming his State di-
rector of welfare and the attorney
general to conduct the inquiry.
After the governor acted, Chester said
Mr.. Cooper had taken all power out OF
his hands and placed complete power
with State officials. He took a part
in the investigation hearings, however.
The most startling bit Of testimony
adduced came from the warden. He
said guards, intent upon rescuing the
trapped men, had been refused en-
trance to the burning ranges by Guard
Thomas WatkinSon and that they were
forced to take a key, from him before
they could open any of the cell doors.
The heat drove them back before they
finished the task and 3l7 convictS died
in the inferno of barred cells.
Advised that Chester had ordered the
warden'S phones removed, Dale Doni-
than. one of Gov. Cooperis secretaries
accompanied by National Guard off,
Ger, protested the prosecutors action
to the governor.
Cooper Reaches Prison.
Gov. Cooper arrived at the peniten-
tiary during the morning and went to
the warden'S residence where the in
vestigation, launched last night, was
continued.
After inspection of the fire scene, the
Board of inquiry adjourned to the pris-
on record ONCE, which had been con-
verted into Q court room for the ofacial
investigation.
The board was composed Of Gov.
Cooper, Early c. Shively. first assistant
attorney general; Joseph Goodwin and
Harry G. Levy, assistant attorneys gen.
eral: County Prosecutor Chester, jr.;
Welfare Director GriSwold and George
Edge and Frank Reighard. members of
the State Clemency Board.
The inquiry opened with q brief
statement from the governor, who out
lined the thorough investigation he
ordered the welfare director and the at
torney general to make. He said he
desired an open investigation to pro-
duce all the facts to which the public
was entitled.
Explains Question of Keys.
Warden Thomas statement of last
night to Griswold was read. He said
the G and H tiers housed 800 men in
six tiers. He said that at approximately
5:35 pm. the first alarm was sounded.
He explained that keys to the cells in
the blazing tiers were kept In the main
guard room to prevent prisoners tax
ing them from guards. When he reach
the prison yard, he continued, he or
dered night guards, just coming on
duty, to get the keys and liberate the
endangered men. About IL minutes later,
he said, a detail of Ohio National
Guardsmen were on the scene. The
warden declared he had no definite idea
as to the cause Of the blaze.
The transcript of Thomas state
ment detailed close questioning by
Prosecutor Chester on procedure follow
ed by guards over Companies G and H.
Thomas said that these reports Of pro-
cedure are turned into the deputies Of
flee nightly so there would be no dam
Other questions In the transcript
dealt with the warden'S reason for
turning things over to Chief Deputy j.
G. Woodward on the inside, while he ar
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