Evening star., 1954-09-23
Prison Riot QueIIed ;
4 Dead, 8 Injured,
5 Buildings Burned
BY NE Associated Press

BY ils Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY. Mo-. Sept.
ga flaming riot at the Mis-
souri, State Penitentiary was
quelled today after four con-
victs were killed, 80 prisoners
and three guards injured and at
least eight prison buildings de-
stroyed or heavily damaged by
fire.
Heavily armed troopers of the
Missouri State Highway Patrol
moved into the begrimed prison
this morning.
Within q short time patrol Of
ficers reported all the convicts in
troubled B and c Halls were back
in their cells.
Situation Under Control.
An hour and a half later, Col.
Thomas E. Whitecotton, director
Of corrections. said the danger Of
any mass outbreak was definitely
past.
He said the situation was un-
der control and that he expected
no further trouble,
ut was the very efficient high
way patrol that got the job done,
and ! want to add that the con-
victs who lost their lives may have
saved hundreds OF others and
the lives Of many citizens"
AS the troopers, backed upon
the walls and outside the prison
by police and National Guards
men, moved through the tiers
they flushed out an injured con-
vict here and there. Some ap-
parently had been seriously in
jured.
Damage SIS Million.
The riot, causing damage esti-
mated by prison officials as near
SIS million. was confined within
walls Of the sprawling peniten-
tiary located in the city, not far
from the State Capitol. None of
the prisoners was believed to
have escaped.
The riot began about 6 o'clock
last night on the third floor of
E Hall, a maximum security Sec
ton for incorrigible prisoners.
Two of the younger prisoners,
officials said. faxed illness to get
guards to open the door. When
other guards came to their res
cue they were overpowered.
Others joined them. Released
from their cells. they raced
across the prison quadrangle and
grounds into other buildings,
overpowering guards and empty
ing additional cell blocks.
From then on for six hours,
officers said the place looked
like a madhouse," with men run
ming, shouting, bowling and fight
ing in the glare of fire from
burning buildings.
AS guards and State troopers
moved in, they were met with a
hail of rocks and bricks. Some
prisoners were shot.
Three Guards Injured.
Three guards were injured.
One. Jefferson Gentry, was
beaten n~unconscious by the riot
ing convicts. Another, Clarence |
Dietzel, apparently was beaten |
or thrown from some height. A
third, Oscar Darlington, was
shot in the foot.
''They ran In and grabbed me
and pushed me outside just as
the shooting started" Mr.. Car
rington related.
The dead prisoners were iden-
titled as:
Don Manning. 10, serving a
robbery term from Cooper
County.
j. c. Swink. 80, serving a car
theft term from Dallas County. |
Walter Lee Donnell, serving a
robbery term from st. Louis.
William Garrett, %, serving a
four-year grand larceny term
from Cass County.
Reason for Riot Not Known.
Prison officials said they did
not know what set off the riot.
But Mr.. Whitecotton said it ap-
parently was touched off by a
very small group of hardened
criminals" ..
Mr.. Whitecotton said the
ringleaders in the riot COM
prised about Is of the 81 oc-
cupants of the maximum security
section in E Hall.
He said he did not know how
they got out, but one of them,
William DeLapp. 19. Seattle,
Wash, would be questioned
closely. A few weeks ago, DeLapp
stole a set of cell block keys
from a guard, but the theft was
discovered before any trouble
developed.
Fires set by the convicts still
were smouldering in the black
ened ruins of prison buildings.
Among the buildings destroyed
or damaged as the convicts ap-
piled the torch were the power
plant. the prison school, clothing
factory, twine building and the
LOST.
RELGIAN SHEPHERD, male vic Oak