Imperial Valley press., 1930-04-23

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fire was discovered. 1t was this de-
lay which cost the lives of most
of the victims in the prison disaster.
Meanwhile Father Albert O'Brien,
Catholic chaplain of the prison, told
the United Press that the disaster
was crime on the part of the state
"a greater crime than any of
those dead boys ever committed
against the state. -
Warden Threatened
A sullen air prevailed and crowd
ed conditions augmented the danger
Of an outbreak. Every available foot
OF space was used to quarter the
survivors of the ruined cell block
convicts even sleeping in temporary
hunks in the Catholic chapel.
Open therats were frequent, some
of them against Warden +. p
Thomas whose testimony before the
investigation committee revealed he
was outside the walls throughout
the tragedy. State Fire Marshall
Roy X. Gill, who is conducting a
secret investigation, said while pass
ing through the cell houses on an
inspection trip, he heard the con
yicts shouting angrily: ''Tell the
governor he'd better jerk Thomas if
he wants Tim to live. We II get him
or die trying
Gill said the men feel that an in
excusable blunder on someone's part
cost the lives of their companions.
Another fire of incendiary origin
which seemed to bear out CLIPS in
tcrpretation, was disclosed ! a S
light when it was learned that an
attempt had been made to fire the
dormitory building Monday while
Lodies were still being removed
from the destroyed cell blocks.
1t was disclosed that group OF
convicts rushed into the building
seized a guard, bound him with q
blanket, and dropped him from al
upper window. After the fire hao
been started, Deputy Warden j. c
Woodward persuaded the convict'
to extinguish the blaze and retire
to their cells.
After all the testimony at hear
ings yesterday and last night, only
one major fact seemed to have been
esta ablished-that there was con
fusion and delay in opening thu
cell blocks and that the helples!
convicts burned or were suffocatet
in the meantime.
Thus far it appeared that the
fire was first discovered about 5:2s
p. M. by Schooley' from his position
in the prison offices. He called
the switchboard and was told thai
the fire had already been reported
Previous testimony has not estab
lished definitely who discovered
the flames and reported.
Deputy In Charge
Schoolev said he took charge o,
the situation himself when he dis
covered there were no officials II
the quadrangle. He ordered thu
other prisoners to unlock the cell
in the doomed tiers.
The entrance to the cell bloch
was barred by a massive door ant
inside were other barred gates, ant
finally the locks on the cells them
selves.
1t was during the tragically SLOW
process Of unlocking these man,
doors that the confusion reigne'
and the trapped prisoners died.
Testimony as to who finally un
locked the doors is conflicting
schooley says he got the key to tn
large door, and handed it to negr,
convict, George Johnson. Johnson
on the stand last night, said he un
locked the door over the protest o
Zone of the guards"
All this time smoke was pourinl
into the great quadrangle of tin
penitentiary until the figures of th
men became dim, unrecoenizabl
shapes and nobody knew who wa
in command.
Warden Thomas, at this time
was outside the walls, concentrat
ing. he admits. on an effort to pre-
vent escapes. He had already givel
orders that all prisoners were t