Evening star., 1947-05-03
800 Prisoners
In Leavenworfh
Riot; | Killed
$50 Are Subdued
After AI-Nisht Bottle
involving Race Issue
BY III. Associated Pres.

BY The Associated Press
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kans.,
May 3.--Army authorities re-
ported today they had subdued
$50 of 800 prisoners who en-
gagged in a night-long riot at the
Fort Leavenworth disciplinary
barracks after one prisoner was
killed and seven others were in
jured.
The $50, inmates of one of two
cell blocks involved, surrendered
after Col. Graeme Parks, disciplinary
barracks commandant, issued an
ultimatum over the loud speaker
system telling the men that the
Army was in full control, and unless
they gave up all air would be shut
off and the cell blocks would be
flooded with tear gas. No word had
been received from prisoners in cell
block Z, the other affected.
The riot was reported to have been
the outgrowth of recent order that
white and colored prisoners should
eat together in the same mess.
1t was described as race riot
within the prison.
Col. Parks told the men that white
and colored inmates. had been seq
regated at breakfast this morning
and that this, practice would be
continued.
Tear Gas Barrage Continues.
1t was not clear how Col. Parks
intended to carry out his threat
to shut off the. air from the cell
blocks as many of the windows had
been broken out.
However, the guards continued to
drop tear gas through trap doors
above the cells, while other gas
shells were lobbed through the VIM
dows. This cross fire apparently
piled the gas in faster than the
meager ventilation could clear it out.
More than 200 tear gas shells and
grenades had been hurled into the
cell. blocks before Col. Parks issued
the ultimatum.
After Col. Parks spoke the men In
cell block sent spokesman to
tell guard at the doorway they
were ready to surrender.
Men Stripped and Searched.
The men were ordered to come out
In groups of five. They were brought
into the rotunda, stripped and
searched. They then were herded
into another cell block which had
been emptied and prepared for iso-
lation Of the rioting prisoners.
The rotunda was guarded by 100
troops armed with 'billy cIubs' and
tear gas. Firemen had two fire.
hoses set up ready to turn high
pressure streams on the men If they
showed signs of giving further
trouble.
There was no information on
whether there may have been more
than the eight casualties originally
reported.
Col. Parks identified the dead In
mate as Dewey Osborne, a white
man, 80, Mountain City, Tenn, and
said he had been stamped to death.
May Be Other Dead.
Col. Parks indicated there might
be other dead. There is a possi-
bility we might find bodies on the
inside"
Injured were prisoner named
Woodberry. stabbed in the lung with
an ice pick first name and home
town unavailabfe) Robert Lee
Freeman, 81, Chattanooga, Tenn,
head injury and bruises; E. C..
Smith, 81, Baltimore Gnjuries un-
available); Henry Turner, 81, Co.
lumbus, Ga, fractured arm and
numerous cuts; Paul H. Nelson, Is,
Kansas City, Kans., cuts and abra-
sions on head; Peter c. Valenti, 25,
Inglewood, N. j., abrasions on head
and other injury the extent un-
known, and Staff Sergt. Robert l..
Lizer, "a, guard, New Orleans.
Maj. Henry G. Triesler, jr., public
information officer, said the out
break was confined to cell blocks 7
and 8. He said the men had been
locked in their cells all day Friday
as punishment for the fracas at
breakfast.
I'VE let them out to eat" he de-
clared, and the disturbance started
again." i
About 1,500 in Barracks.
He said l,5o0 prisoners were in the
disciplinary barracks, with about
half participating in the riot.
He said the tear gas was having
little effect on the men. They have
smashed all the windows and doors
in the block and the gas is dissi-
pating about as fast as we fire it in. "
The men are yelling and cheer
ing" he declared.
Maj. Triesler said none of the SO
guards standing by were armed ex-
cept for clubs. I'VE are handling
this thing as carefully as possible, !"
he added.
He said Col. Parks only recently
took over the duties as commanding
officer of the barracks and said the
riot did not in any way hinge on
the coloners treatment of the men.
The Army appealed to the Kansas
City police for more tear gas shells
early today after firing those avail
able on the post. Three loads al
ready have been sent up from KAN
sas City, officers said.
The barracks are located in the
heart of the Fort Leavenworth mill
tary reservation and contain men
convicted by military court of Sc
rious crimes.
Maj. Triesler said the beleaguered
men had fashioned clubs from a
wooden stairway which joined the
upper and lower tier. TIE said water
and light to the block had been
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