Imperial Valley press., 1930-01-03

.ooNCoI-lIIIlu ~ : IoH age ohe)
The courage of Stokes during the
riot, dwindled away today however,
and he tremblcd visiby.
Stokes was half carried to the
ghllows. lie braccd up just before
the hood was fixed and turning to
the 50 spectators, mostly enwspapcr-
men, said with twisted smile:
"My God, warden, you got an
awful bunch here today"
As the end neared, Stokes
thoughts turned TO the hearth,oken
mother Of Walter ii. Burke, one of
the Folsom rioters who is to be
hanged next Friday.
Warden Court Smith, towering
giant of a man, looked down upon
tie prisoner, who looked tiny by
comparison, and complimented him
because he wrote letter last night
to the mother of Burke.
"It was a fine thing to do the
warden said, and Stokes replied:
THAT 9 all right. | am not much
of n letter writer but | wanted her
to know that | appreciate wnot she
has done for me-
Al time records for Folsom exc
eutions were shattered in the hang
ings Of Brown and Stokes.
Lazarus was taken from !he SAN
Quentin dcaia co:i at il a. IN and
u.ounted the galIows half Il minute
later. He WAS pronounced dead n
l0:13:30 Il. m.
The - -ycar-old Oakland bank
bandit did not waver rs he was led
from the death chamber Of the gal
lows, only 4 few steps away. He
looked aj the 40 spectators without
visible emotion and walked up thc
steps without assistance.
Just before dropping through the
,:ap, Lazarus said:
"Goodgye sam, - but no one pres
cut knew to whom lie referred.
The riot and siege at Folsom STATE
prison November - ami 2j. 1927,
was the greatest crisis in california
penal history.
The revolt broke cut during the
morning in the prison srhoolroom,
where many of the 2ono prisoners
had assembled for u movie crficled
"Auklcs Prcfcrcdp - the holiday
feature at the prison.
Armed with an automatic pistol,
daggcrs, 4 hatchct and Il black Jack,
'rc six Youthful dcspcradocS rushed
into the room, attacking guards.
In the battle that followed, Guard
Ray Singleton wa, slain, his body
inutilatcd, and three Other guards
wounded. Five guards were t: ken
prisoners, while Warden Courti
Smith was a virtual prisoner N his
Office.
At 11:i5 Governor Young. in
formed by the warden of the riot,
tallcd out the st.te militia and
helped mobilize q large force o.
peace officers. National guard.
troops of Sacramento, Stockton,
Woodland, MarysHillc and Yuba
City were ordered to the scene.
B.f!c fire rdkcd the sshaolroom. !
over 200 shots were exchanged la
side the prison became roaring in
ierGo, with SIX conflicts killed out
light and Il wounded, five mortal
ly.
Darkness settled and the attack /
crs placed the ccllhousc in Il state !
Of siege until morning. During the |
night ono of the captured guards +
was tossed from y window in crit !
;talIy injured condition, Wardcr !
Smith managed TO escape from his .
post.
Charles Gillespie, o;dcs, guard at
fine prison, dropped dead from the |
excitement.
At daybrcak, tho 1000 massod |
guards and mltiamcn prepared fot
a final assault upon the cc'lhouse |
behind armorrd tanks from Salinas ,
and light cannon from Sacramento. /
The warden then received ;clc. (
rhonc call from Ebony" Brown. one
OF the ringleadcrS. They agreed t.
surrender unconditionally Tn re-
naming four guards held throug lout !
the night in the cclihogsc emerged I
with the couvjrt,' a'as and aMmu- /
lition. The prisoners then returned |
to their cells and were locked up, |
The death toll of the riot was Is I
III convicis and two guards
IN lhf lHN tAt lE dtlNu anu t' ''''
irat followed the following IN en-
were held to account: Anthony 4,
brown, 80, San Francisco holdup
Iaan; Roy stokes, -, Los Angeles
burglar; Walter +. Burke, 30. Sac
lamcnto theator robbcr; James II. +,
Glcgg, %, Fresno murderer; Eugcnc +
Crosby, alias James Gleason, -, ia
media robbcr, and Albert Il. Stewart,
81. Los Angeles torgcr,
The court battle that followed
lasted three wears and went through +
the highest courts of the country. F
The group was first tried for the |
k.nurdcr of Singleton. Stewart turned |!
states evidence and revealed the !
entire, plot at the trial The Jury
found them guilty Of murder, but ,
recommended life Imprisonment "A
sentence most of them were were al
rcadv serving, |