Evening star., 1944-12-08
Is atlanta Convicis
Held Incommunicado;
Face Severe Penalty
~ the Associated Press.

j wv SVvOlV ! VU1uIBy
~ the Associated Press.
ATLANTA, Dec. 8.-Twenty- five
convicts who seized a building at the
Atlanta Federal Penitentiary and
held four guards prisoner for three
days remained in solitary confine-
ment today awaiting trial in Fed
eral Court.
Attorney General Biddle an
nounced in Washington that the
men would be tried promptly on
charges of violating prison security
regulations and would be severely
punished.
The revolt ended yesterday when
the inmates yielded to an appeal by
Morgan Blake, Atlanta Journal
celumnist. who had published their
grievances in his newspaper.
Regarded Nazis as Offensive.
Mr.. Blake in his story said the
convicts told him in an interview the
day before that they objected to
being quartered in the segregation
building with Nazi spies and sabo-
teurs whom they regarded as very
offensive and well-nigh unbearable." !"
The columnist also reported the
prisoners complained they did not
have proper medical supervision,
had not been given any religious
services for six months, were paid a
lower wage for prison labor than
nonsegregated inmates, were denied
communications with the outside
world on legal matters and had no
recreational facilities.
Attorney General Biddle, however,
told reporters he and James V. Ben
nett, director of prisons, believed the
rebelling convicts sought to bring
about general insurrection' of
the prisons 1000 inmates and that
their complaints were made up after
the revolt apparently failed.
Mr.. Biddle disclosed that among
the convicts housed in the segrega-
ton building was George John
Dasch, one of the eight German
saboteurs who landed in Florida and
Long Island in 1912.
He was one of the Nazis the pris-
oners said they objected to, the At
torney General added, and once dur
ing the revolt they threatened to
and toss him off the roof.
The four guard hostages-Revo
H. Thompson, Orlin Hagper, John
w. Bacon and Henry Pittelkow-
were released unharmed.
The rebellion ended at 2::3O pm.
Yesterday when George Hollings-
worth of Shawnee, Okla, acting as
spokesman for the mutineers, de-
clared:
This is Pearl Harbor Day. It's an
Ideal day to surrender"
Ring Leaders Identified.
The ring leaders were identified as
Jack Floyd Adams, %. Richmond,
Va, serving 30 years for kidnapping:
Richard Arthur Myles, %, st. Louis,
10 years for auto theft; William
Henry Sanders, 80, Durant. Okla, 10
years for auto theft; James Donald
Douglas, 20, Miami, Fla, five years
for auto theft, and Hollingsworth,
%. six years for auto theft.
The guards said they had not been
harmed and were not under any
great duress during their detention.
On the German prisoner issue.
Mr.. Blake said:
"All OF the men are extremely in
dignant that they have to live with
NaA saboteurs and spies and have
to listen to them exalt Hitler and
denounce the American Govern
ment. One Of these Nazis was of the
group landed in submarine for
the purpose of sabotage in this
country. These Nazis are very
offensive and well-nigh unbearable,
the prisoners say"
Mr.. Blake and an armload of the
Journals first edition were rushed to
the prison at 1850 am. yesterday
and the columnist went to the segre-
CATION building. There Mr.. Blake
talked-"I never did so much
speech-making in my life'-for two
hours. The men then asked for time
to study his story. At 2:30 pm. they
surrendered.
Later neWsmen were allowed to
visit the segregation building They
found number of windows broken
but little other damage. Benches
had been used to barricade the
locked doors.
Elsewhere in the huge prison. the
1900 other convicts not involved
In the disturbance went calmly
about their routine work.