Imperial Valley press., 1930-04-24
NERVOUS TENSION
GRIPS OFFICIALS
in OHIO PRISON
Fear OF ReDrisals For
Mondays Tragedy Is
Reported
By HARRY w. SHARPE
United Press Staff CORRESPONDENT

ZULU MbCS, w., april 24.-tU.J
Ohio state peniientlary was in
the grip today of a ,,crvous tension
that threatened at any moment to
send most of it's convict population
on mad reprisal for the deaths Of
320 comrades who perished IN Mon
day nights fire disaster.
Although two days have passed
since the tragedy, the prisoners,
with the horrors of the scene still
fresh in their memories, are in
dangerous state Of mind. Officials,
fearing new outburst, are max
ing every effort to keep them sub
dued and we'll cared for.
Last night guards paced the floor
outside the steel ranges of sections
adjoining the ruined cell blocks G
and H, while within the air was
filled with the jeers of crodwed,
milling convicts.
Belligerent, cursing, some laugh
ing Historically, they challenged
the guards to lock them in their
cells. Only the range doors at the
end of each corridor and the guns
of nerve wracked guards restrained
them.
The scene was a replica of that
at dawn yesterday, equally uncer-
tain and fraught with elements as
dangerous as dynamite. When the
hour for retirement came, the pris-
oners of six cell blocks iimmied
the locks of their cells or stuffed
them with bits of waste paper and
splinters. Prison authorities pre-
ferred to let them alone. The range
doors would crumble like brittle
timber if the prisoners, with massed
weight, should rush them.
Guards heard reports that a plot
was under way to blow up gaso-
line tank near the dormitory. Quick
precautions were taken, and later
an order for 900 gallons of coffee
helped quiet the mob for the time
being.
Prisoners Transferred
Prisoners in the so.called "white
cityo section werC showing more
resentment, but no disturbances
were reported. National guardsmen
were in readiness and the prison
officials were in close contact with
police headquarters should they be
needed.
Meanwhile, Warden P. z. Thorn
as, who has been the object of con-
tinual insults from the prisoners,
planned to send several hundred to
the state farm at London, O., to
alleviate the situation. He also
planned to place the prison shops
back in operation, which may have
a psychological effect on the now
idle men.
The prison hospital was still
jammed today with injured, many
of whom were battling pneumonia,
superinduced by burns and expos
ure. Many were expected to die.
Regular patients were shunted into
corners to make way ror the new
sufferers.
The nights developments climax
ed day which did little to fur
ther the knowledge of Governor
Myers Y. Cooper and his investi-
eating committee as to how the fire
started. All they knew was that
cowardice, lack of concerted action
and delay, combined to form one
of the states most disastrous epi-
sodes.
,, Relatives Mourn
At the cattle barn morgue "a
bodies remained unidentified and
unclaimed. Unless they are taken
by relatives these will be buried by
the state, although state law re-
quires they be turned over to medi-
cal students.
Throughout the day relatives
| stood in line, each with a little
white card signed by prison auth
/ critics and reading: "Sentence ter
minated by death.'' Mothers, sis
ters, fathers, sweethearts and
grandmothers saw their loved ones
for the first time. Sobs punctuat-
! ed the sombre silence, women faint
/ ed, the grief of some turned to
rage, and flowers placed by the
state We're torn from caskets and
stamped into the ground
One at time a long line of
hearses moved to the side entrance
received their burden and moved
away to make way for another. The
quiet that reigned over the scene
occasionally was broken by out.
bursts of sobbing or hysteria.