REVOLT IN GAOL

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 November 1927, Page 7

REVOLT IN GAOL

CONVICTS WELL-ARMED

HEAVY CASUALTY LIST

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.)

NEW YORK, 24.

A message from Sacramento says that an army of several hundred men is mobilising outside Folsome State Prison for an organised assault on the barricaded position. Seven leaders attempted to release twelve hundred prisoners, but escape was frustrated within the walls in a battle in which an assistant turnkey was killed, and three guards seriously wounded.--

The leaders, armed with guns and knives, barricaded . the doors of the main cell block and took a position of vantage in the hospital, directly above the entrance to the block where twelve hundred prisoners ate at large. Two hundred and fifty National Guards and a hundred police left the city for the prison, where they will attack with light field artillery, machine guns and grenades, if the leaders refuse to surrender. ' ' ■

LATER.

Sacramento reports that seven men are now dead, and twenty-two wounded in the Folsome State Prison uprising. To-night settled down into ’ a bitter siege of the revolting convicts by over five hundred militiamen, deputy sheriffs and other officers. Two guards and five convicts were killed. Seventeen convicts and police officers aiid the warden’s secretary were wounded. Warden Smith, who 1 for a time was isolated in his office, which, to leave, he had to run the gauntlet of marauding convicts, directed operations against the rioters over a telephone, and finally succeeded in quitting the prison without being seen by the prisoners.' A PEACEFUL SURRENDER NEW YORK, Nov. 25. A message from Sacramento says that twelve hundred mutineer convicts at Folsom Prison who defied the National Guards and prison officials for twenty hours, surrendered peacefully and returned to the cells. Normal routine has been resumed. The uprising caused nine deaths and twenty-two injured of which one guard was killed and another died from heart attack. Seven prisoners were slain by ’ machine guns and five piison 'officials were wounded. Seventeen .convicts, were struck by machine gun bullets. The seven ringleaders of the outbreak have been placed in solitary confinement. The/convicts sent a messenger to a warder under a flag of truce asking for immunity which he refused, but promised rioters protection from a beating at the hands of the guards.