ALCATRAZ RIOT

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24868, 7 May 1946, Page 5

ALCATRAZ RIOT

RINGLEADERS KILLED SAN FRANCISCO, May 5. America’s most spectacular prison mutiny has been quelled after a 40hour gun battle in which five persons were killed and 14 werq woundqd. Not a single convict escaped. The warden (Mr Johnston) said that the siege was marked by the heroism of the guards who rescued their wounded comrades while a withering fire kept the convicts down. The attempted break from Alcatraz began at 2.30 p.m. last Thursday when a bank robber, Bernard Coy. climbed the bars of the guards’ gallery in the cell block and wedged his way through a weak spot. He then surprised and knocked out the prison guard and obtained a rifle with 50 rounds of ammunition and a pistol with 20 rounds, some gas grenades, and gas masks. These were the only arms the convicts obtained.

During the riot the convicts overpowered sqven officials in the cell block and locked them in a cell, into which the murderer, Joseph Cretzer. poured revolver shots, killing one and wounding five. Later Cretzer shot and killed another guard who tried to rush the block. The convicts, in spite of repeated assaults, held out until the final attack yesterday morning, which met with little resistance. It Vas thfen found that Coy. Cretzer, and Marvin Hubbard had been killed on the previous night. The other three ringleaders gave little trouble.

The convicts realised that escape was hopeless because the courageous guard Miller, who was later killed, hid the vital key which would have unlocked the only door leading from the block.