The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-25
5 BUILDINGS
BURN IN RIOT
OF PRISONERS
Four Men Are Shot, Dozen
Others Hurt in Fighting
at Farm
TROOPS ARE ON GUARD
Outbreak Among First
TermerS' Flares When
Escape Fails.
81 United Press


VANDALIA, Ill, May 25.-Four
men we're shot, dozen others we're
injured in hand to hand fighting,
and five state buildings lay in ruin
today as the result of the latest out
break in the series of riots that have
famed during recent months in I'LL
nois penal institutions. Probably four
person6 escaped.
With the bayonets of national
guardsmen bristling around the
barbed-wir inclosed farm and the
honor" prisoners apparently sub
dued after short but mad riot
during which they burned their
dormitories, officials felt certain all
danger Of trouble was past at the
state farm for misdemeanants about
a mile from here.
Unlike the riots held in other
prison5 in recent months in protest
TO treatment, Sunday nights riot
here was said by officials to be
directly the result Of the failure of
four men in an attempt to escape.
All the 900 prisoners had known
for weeks, superintendent G. j.
Metzger said, that the break was
planned He had known of it also
and had placed special guards
around the farm.
-Four Named In Break
The four men named in the break
were Charles Rogers, William ST.
monds, Arthur Ragan and Charles
Lewis. They were crawling under
the fence, it was said, when the
guards ordered them to halt.
The men stood up and started to
run, but surrendered when peppered
with buckshot. None was hurt
seriously.
The shots awakened other pris-
-oner5. The riot started. The build
ings were fired one after another.
Police and firemen rushed from
Vandalia. Scores of citizens joined
them in surrounding the farm to
prevent escape.
Inside the fences the prisoners
shouted and danced about the
burning buildings.
When officers tried to enter the
gates, the convicts drove them
back with clubs and stones.
Dozen Hurt in Fighting
About a dozen were injured III
the hand-to-hand fighting. Police
Chief G. A. Hubbard was among
these. He was knocked unconscious
by a rock; but recovered quickly.
The national guards were rushed
here by Governor Louis l.. Emmer-
son and soon after their arrival the
prisoners became quiet.
Destruction of the buildings was
said not to be of great Importance
aS they were old and not valued
at more than $4,000. They were TO
be destroyed soon.
Colonel Frank Whip, superin-
tendent of state prisons, arrived at
the farm shortly after the riot was
uuelled. He agreed that it was not
a part of general prison unrest in
the state, but a direct result rather
Of the escape plot.
Five Buildings Destroyed
The five buildings destroyed by
flames we're old frame structures.
A new and modern dormitory has
been erected and will be ready for
occupancy within few days.
The farm here is an honor" in
stitution in fact as we'll as name.
The windows of its dormitories are
not barred. No wall surrounds it,
although there is a double fence
barred and fifteen feet high. The
men sent here are first offenders.
Prisoners do not wear prison
garb. During the daytime they are
allowed almost perfect freedom, ex-
cept that they must work.