Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-19
Officials Quiet ConvictS With
Display of Armed Force.
One Man Slain.
BUILDINGS BURNED;
TWO MORE INMATES SHOT
Ten Days of Bread-and-Water Diet
and Close Imprisonment in Cells
Present Prison Policy.
BY the Associated Press.

by the ASSoClALeQ EreSS.
JOLIET, Ill, March 1e.-Oncials
ruled Illinois two State prisons with q
hand Of iron today to prevent repeti-
ton of yesterdays riot in which five
buildings at Statewide penitentiary were
burned by some of 1900 milling pris-
oners, three of whom were wounded,
one fatally, before the instruction
could be put down.
Warned that the smoldering resent
ment of the convicts might flare into
a new uprising in the older of the two
prisons, penitentiary authorities posted
extra guards in the dining room to
halt the development Of any further
plot. -Four companies Of State Militia
men were also present. They had the
support of the State government at
Springfield, which indicated the slogan
for discipline would be more guns and
less talk"
In addition to 200 National Guards
men a like number Of State highway
police, under command of their chief,
Walter Moody, were on duty to stop
any disturbance like that of yesterday,
when property damage estimated at
100000 was done and three guards
were beaten.
Causes of Outbreak.
The dead prisoner, Raymond Barney,
died early today. He was wounded,
along with Edward Devaney and
Michael Farrare, when they and hun
dreds of other convicts refused to obey
Immediately orders from the warden to
return to their cells after the rtoting
had begun.
Overcrowding of men in both pris-
ons, which are separated by five miles,
and resentment against Parole Board
procedure were blamed by Warden
Henry c. Hill for yesterdays outbreak
in Statewide. Other sparks which
helped to touch off the revolt we're
the killing February % of three pris-
oners as they tried to escape from tie
old building and the rioting there last
Saturday, in which two prisoners were
killed and two wounded. Another was
the death of prisoner in solitary con-
flnement.
The rioting Of the 800 conyicts be-
gan In the Statewide chair factory by
q prearranged signal. Statewide is the
newer of the two prisons. All morn
ing long the prisoners were holding up
two fingers of their hands, which priS-
on authorities learned afterward was
their method Of telling each other that
the uprising was TO start at 2 pm. At
that hour 100 convictS in the chair
factory attacked three guards, lit
torches of infiammable material and ran
into the prison yard.
Almost simultaneously there was an
outpouring Of convicts from adjoining
buildings. Selling torches, they applied
them to the laundry, shoe and cerpen-
ter shop, the garage and the dining
rooms, and then, under cover Of the
smoke, assembled in the open yard. Eff
forts of Rev. Eligius Weir, the Catholic
chaplain, to stop the men resulted in
nothing but boots and cries against
the Illinois Parole Board.
Fired Warming Shots.
Another chorus of jeers greeted War
den Hill when he walked, unarmed,
into the yard and ordered the convicts
back to their cells. AS he spoke, armed
guards from the prison walls were
gathering, but the prisoners stood their
ground. At the warden'S direction, two
shots were fired by them over the tops
of their heads, but still they refused to
move. There was another order for the
men to dispense. This likewise was re-
fused and the guards fired. Three fell
wounded.
The shooting put an end to the
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