Evening star., 1946-05-03
By the Associated Press


themselves in cell block.
By the Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, May 3.-The
Marine Corps said today that
Leathernecks- were chopping a
hole in the roof of an Alcatraz
Prison cell block to drop hand
grenades on rebellious convicts.
Marine Corps headquarters re-
ported that % more battle-armed
Marines went to the beleaguered
island this morning, bringing the
force Of Leathernecks there to SO.
Marine headquarters said most Of
the Marines sent to the island had
combat experience.
The Government arsenal at nearby
Benicia dispatched 10 cases of frag-
mentation hand grenades and 10
cases of rifle grenades to the Fed
eral prison authorities.
Capt. Wiley Knight, officer of the
day at the arsenal, said the Ship
ment consisted Of 200 of the small
augmentation grenades, and 100
made for firing from carbines.
Guards Launch Attack.
Earlier, Alcatraz Prison guards
launched a vigorous attack with
hand grenades on the six convicts
pinned down in a cell block.
Meanwhile, second guard wound
ed in the fighting last night died
as rioting by the desperate convicts
continued into the second day.
Guard William A. Miller died in a
hospital as the new attack was
launched to dislodge the convicts
from their stronghold.
Guard Harold P. Sites was killed
by machinegun bullets at the out.
set of the rioting yesterday after
noon when convicts seized an ar
senal.
About 11:15 am. today shafts Of
white smoke streamed into the sky,
followed by the sound of explosions,
as the new attack was begun.
At 1880 am. a guard at. the
prison reported by telephone to the
Associated Press that he didn't have
time to talk. but we're sure going
after them right now."
Held as Hostages.
The six convicts during the night
held 10 prison officers as hostages
for about seven hours, shooting
some and injuring all but one. The
hostages were rescued in raging
gun battle.
In addition to the death of Mr..
Sites and Mr. Miller, l3 other prison
officers were injured.
This morning a guard said 72-
year-old Warden James A. john
ston, who had been on the job all
night, was personally directing ef-
forts to end the uprising.
'Everybody's pretty busy" the
guard said. And Warden john
ston is right in there. He certainly
has got what it takes.
There are plenty of explosions
occurring right now"
Guard Overpowered.
The break began with the over
powering of guard and the capture
of guns and ammunition from the
prison arsenal yesterday about 3
pm. (PST). The spectacular fight
ragged until shortly before dawn,
when prison officer said:
They're holed up and nobody's
doing any shooting now. We still
don't know how many are in there"
Bernard Paul Coy, IS, serving Is
years for armed robbery in Louis
vile, KY, and sent to the island
prison for desperate criminals in
San Francisco Bay, was reported to
have overpowered the guard, Bert
A. Burch, who was armed.
Coy had a prison job cleaning gun
galleries. He repeatedly threw a
master switch to open all cells in
the block and passed out guns to
Is other prisoners.
Immediately the alarm was sound
ed, but guards who rushed to Mr..
Burch's aid were captured and
locked up as hostages. The pris-
oners obtained keys to all doors in
the block except the building exit,
a Marine public relations officer re-
ported. He had gone to the Rock"
with Marines guarding prisoners not
involved in the fight.
Guards Attack Building.
Uniformed guards and plain
clothesmen rushed to the scene,
attacking the building on the pin
nacle of the rock The three-story,
concrete structure formed a fortress
for the convicts, who raked the
approaches through windows.
Crouching along catwalk, guards
reached the windows from which
the criminals blasted automatic fire.
The officers, protected under the
wall from the angle of opposing
fire, repeatedly shot through the
windows.
Searchlights and flares b!azed
over the island, and heavily armed
boats circled the scene of battle as
the fight went into the night. About
midnight the guards crashed into
cell block C, in which the des-
perate men were then cornered.
Warden Johnston termed the TAX
ing OF hostages a part of plot to
make mass escape"
Ringleaders Named.
He named the ringleaders, IN adj
dition to Coy, as:
Joseph Paul Cretzer, 35, serving
Is years for bank robbery, years
for escape from Mcneil Island
Prison and life for murder of a
(See ALCATRAZ, Page A-30
Chang. Tulks With Hoover
NANKING, Mays R.-Generalis-
simo Chang Kai-shek arrived at
this re-estab ablished capital of China