Evening star., 1955-01-22
Four Desperate Men Choose
Hope, Ending Prison Siege

40 years on charges Of assault,
escape, larceny, kidnapping, car
rying a gun, and attempting to
escape. Balben is q chunky,
amiable- looking chap, with a
touch of the George Gobel look
about him. Next sat Swenson,
serving a life sentence for the
Staying of q police officer. He
wears a gold hearing aid. has a
limp. Next was Green. who is
wanted in Federal penitentiary
for a previous robbery conviction
and whose criminal status in
Massachusetts, is complicated,
His pale face is etched with deep
lines
And so for three solid hours
We sat and talked-listened.
mostly. The convicts complained
Of their utter Illustration, but
most of all of the horrors of pro-
tracted solitary confinement.
you rot, " they said. Then they
took us out in the cell block to
see where they had been inn
prisoned. Some Of the cells were
granite in floor and walls. and
there the men had to sleep on the
rock without bed. mattress, or
blanket. Under such punitive
conditions they got a loaf of
bread and some water each day.
They claimed to have been shut
in such cells for 20 days at a
stretch.
Gloomy Dungeon.
Teddy Green asked me to step
into one of these gloomy dun
geons. he shut the barred door
and turned out the lights in the
corridor. Then, in his tense,
hard voice he described life in
these cells. That was at about
2 am. Friday morning, and I
have rarely had a more in
tensely moving 2 am.
Back in the conference room
the convicts first served us cool
water to drink and then coffee.
We continued to talk. We
could not tell them much
tangible: We were impressed by
their pleas. we would like to
keep in touch with them through
the chaplains and doctor, we
would like to do anything proper
that could be done to help.
No mawkish note. no false
sympathy. no disguise of their
crimes entered the discussion.
They freely averred they had a
debt to pay to society. But
they wanted to be brought to
trial, to get on with their pun
ishment and to see whether
way down at the end of the
road-there might not be a year
or two of liberty left for them.
Green's eyes filled with tears
as he said: I've done q lot OF
bad things. Evil things. My only
wish Is that some time / might
do good thing. Like giving my
eyes SO that a blind child might
see. or my body so that men
could understand disease better
Isn't there some way / could dc
something good?"
AvowaIs of Interest.
We argued with them that II
they put down their guns, relying
on our avowals of interest and
concern, they would be doing q
good thing; that people every
where would take this experience
as a warning about the seamy
side of penology. But we told
them frankly that II the episode
ended in tragedy, the reaction
would be severe indeed.
Councillor McDonough, who
has consistently fought the con-
vict's battle, was particularly
effective and respected. He said
many powerful things. So did
the others. But we couldn't tell,
in the early morning hours,
whether We were making any
impression or not. We only knew
that the atmosphere was good; !;
that the men trusted us.
Finally they said they would
give us an answer between II
and | Friday, but they wanted
to see the warden and his deputy
first. This interview took place
and We sat in for the last part
1t was difficult. for of course
the warden could not be placed
in the position of bargaining.
Nor could we, when we re.
turned to the prison at IL O'Clock
Friday. No deal" was contem.
plated or consummated. VIZ
could only reasure the convicts
OF our desire to help them, and
then fellows, in any way private
citizens linked to the chapIains
and doctor inside the prison
could do.
Tension Becomes Greater.
In our second talk, the tension
was higher, because two press
helicopters hovered overhead
and the photographers protruded