Evening star., 1947-07-12
Six Convicts Are Slain
During Mass Break in
Georgia Prison Camp
BY the Assoeioted Press

BY the Ls.eeioted Press
BRUNSWICK, Ca, July 12.-
Guards shot six Negro convicts
to death and wounded seven
others yesterday after officers
said they attempted to escape
from a prison camp. An inquest
was called for today.
Coroner J. D. Baldwin announced
the inquest. Coincidentally. the
Brunswick Chapter of the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People asked for a grand
jury investigation of the affair
which had its inception when 10
road gang prisoners refused to
work.
Warden w. G. Worthy said IS
obeyed his order to return to work
but that the other 81 went on a
four-hour strike. They were taken
back to the prison camp and were
herded together in the prison yard.
Convicts Run for Fence.
Warden Worthy said one of the
prisoners. Willie H. Bell. charged
and sought to dlsarm him. The
Warden said he fired and wounded
Bell in the leg. Warden Worthy
and County Police Chief Russell
B. Henderson said all of the convicts
then started running for a 12-foot
barbed wire fence which encircled
the camp.
Prison guards opened fire with
shotguns, moving the fleeing con-
victs down.
c. NJ Moore. president of the
Brunswick NAACP, said this morn
ing, we are not upholding willful
law violators but so many rumors
have been current since this un-
fortunate affair, we feel that a full
sitting of the incidents should be
made"
County Police Called.
County police had been called to
the camp to quell a possible dis
turbance," Chief Henderson said.
The police did not fire, all Of the
shooting being done by four prison
guards using shotguns.
Warden Worthy said none of the
convicts who attempted the break
was armed with guns or knives but
that several carried short iron bars
and sticks. Maj. c. A. Williams,
head of the State Prison Depart
ment. sent two investigators from
Atlanta to open an inquiry.
Five convicts were killed instant
ly by the withering gunfire. A
sixth died several hours later. Five
were in hospital under heavy
guard and two others were treated
and then put in jail.
Prisoners Refused to Work.
Warden Worthy said the trouble
began at the camp with the arrival
yesterday of new prisoners who re-
fused to work on the Jesup highway
and were returned to the prison
camp about 4 pm. When the men
refused to leave the trucks in which
they had ridden back to camp, the
warden said he called for aid frem
the Glynn County police
His account continued:
Police Chief Henderson told the
prisoners to obey the warden and
"cut out that foolishness."
When the convicts left the trucks,
they were lined up in the prison in
closure and addressed by Chief
Henderson, At the end of the police
chiefs remarks, the men broke and
fo fha hor NJ
Others. however. crawled under the
building. which stands about 2 feet
of the ground. and then ran toward
the fence on the other side.
This break" coupled with Bells
attack on the warden, brought about
the shooting.
The men killed outright at the
camp and their records were listed
by the warden as:
Jonah Smith. sentenced to 26
years in 1888 for burglary. Five
previous escapes
Henry Manson, sentenced to 20
years in 1896 for breaking and en-
tering. Three previous escapes.
Willie Wright, sentenced to IL to
Is years in 1914 for burglary and
grand larceny. One previous escape.
James Smith, sentenced to Is
years in 1912 for burglary. Two
previous escapes
George Patterson, sentenced to
three to seven years in l942, charge
unlisted.
The fatally wounded convict was
Edward Neal, serving one to two
year term for robbery and a five
to ten wear assault sentence