Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-22
GUARDS SHIF TING
AT START OF FIRE
Firemen Testify in Probe
That They Appeared
in IL Minutes.
Continued From First Page)

ranged for troops and other things out
side. Thomas said he was suffering
from asthma and could not stand the
smoke.
The transcript also disclosed that
Chester thought his questions were not
being properly answered and that hs
told Thomas he would have to answer
satisfactorily or he would make him do
so in court.
When reading of the transcript was
finished the warden went before the
inquiry board to testify.
Covers Same Ground.
Under questioning by Assistant At
torney General Godown, Warden
Thomas went over practically the same
ground covered by Prosecutor Chester.
He said Guards Little and Baldwin were
preparing to go on duty on the Inflated
blocks when the fire started. Guard
Watkinson, suspended pending investi-
CATION, had the keys to the cages lead
ing to the ranges, he said. Asked who
locked in the men, he replied that IL
day guards before they went off duty.
He explained thev turned in their keys
in the guard room.
Little and Baldwin told him, the war
den said, that they took the G and H
tier cell keys and went on a run toward
the fire. They asked WstkinSon to open
the corridor door. but he refused, they
said, saying he had no order to do so.
They said they took the keys from
him, opened the corridors and then
started to open the cells.
Convicts Take the Keys.
Asked Il guards had any special in
structions about fires. the warden re-
piled no particular instructions were
issued, but that the guards were ex-
pected to act to meet any situation.
Asked If he knew of any motive Wat
kinson might have for not letting the
other guards in, the prison head re-
piled in the negative.
Little and Baldwin told him, Thomas
continued, of their work in opening
cells until they were overcome. At this
point convicts took the keys from them
and continued the cell openings. Pris-
onerS rescued the guards. The convicts
found some locks sprung by heat and
| attacked these with hammers.
Asked if any inflammable material
was near the spot where 100 cOnvicts
had been working near the scene of the
start of the fire, Warden Thomas re-
piled there was a gasoline concrete
mixer, but he did not know If it had
been in operation Monday. He said he
I Ildu IlO luCd W llOW Vic AIC ot0LOCO
| and had heard no rumorS Of diSsatiS-
faction.
Warden Ordered Keys Sent.
Guards failed to realize quickly the
seriousness of the fire and directed their
| first efforts against a possible outbreak
! rather than rescue work, it was indi-
Gated in testimony in the official in
vestigation.
State Welfare Director GriSwold early
| today questioned six prison officials
guards, firemen and prisoners in the
hope of fixing responsibility.
Warden Thomas said his first orders
on receiving word of the fire were to
send a deputy with keys to the prison
gates to let the fire apparatus in and
then inquired If keys had been sent
to the cell blocks to release the priS-
! oners
II was informed that keys had not
been sent to the cell blocks and / or
dered the guards to get them dowr
| there as quickly as possible. DOM
! know what guards took the keys OIL
how long they were in getting them
there"
The warden said he then armed two
| guards with shotguns and took personal
charge of guarding the prison from the
outside to prevent possible escape OF
prisoners.
Before leaving for the outside, or