PRISON HOLOCAUST

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 June 1930, Page 5

PRISON HOLOCAUST

HEROISM AMONG CONVICTS.

A wild cry of “Fire!” rang down the corridors of the Ohio State prison at Columbus in the night of April 21, and within an hour 317 convicts had been burned to death. Another 157 men were taken to hospital, many so badly injured that their lives were despaired of. One man escaped. Donning civilian clothes ho walked quietly out of the raging tumult. The prison was built to hold 1500 men,» but when the fire started 4300 were locked in the cells. Men servinglife sentences are believed to have been responsible for the fire, which broke out near a wooden staircase and spread rapidly to a block of cells holding 800 men. The wooden roofs were fuel for the furnace in which so many were entrapped. The keys which would have liberated the men from the burning cells had been lost, for, as the prison warden, Mr Thomas, said: “I sent a guard with the keys to open a dormitory in the path of the fire. 1 do not know why he did not. That dereliction cost scores of lives. The men never had a chance to live.” The chances of complete escape by a larger number of convicts were effectually foiled by troops, who were rushed to the prison when the first fire call rang out. With machine guns mounted on the walls and at the gates the possibilities of escape were nil.

Meanwhile the most terrible scenes were being witnessed where the fire raged. Some convicts, seeing the flames speeding towards them, prayed to be shot, and some went mad, but, on the other hand, hundreds, according to eye-witnesses, behaved like soldiers. With scarves wrapped round their faces, they fought their way through flame and smoke along steel corridors that were almost red hot, and at the same time they tried to effect rescues.

One of the most, terrible discoveries was the death of 136 men on the sixth tier of the doomed building. They were crushed and burned by the falling roofs.

GALLANT “DESPERADO.” \ It was at this spot that Wild Bill Croninger, a well-known desperado, gave his life for others. Twelve times he made his way into the furnace, each time returning with the limp body of a prisoner. On the thirteenth effort he collapsed and died. Big Jim Morton, a. Cleveland bank robber, broke open his own cell with his hands, but instead of seeking to escape re-entered the blazing cells to rescue his companions. William Wade, a huge negro, broke down a door with a sledge-hammer, and released 25 men. The heat finally drove him away. Like many other he complained bitterly of the prison management, saying, “They could have saved these men, but they let human beings burn to death.” Certainly, it is the height of irony that while more than 300 men died the damage to the prison is estimated at only £2OOO. Ono convict, Roy Tyler, lost his life on the eve of obtaining his freedom, which had just been granted by the Supreme Court. Another hero was Howard Jones, who was serving 12 years for theft. Single-handed he broke open cell locks and released 100 men. The guards also played their part in the rescues. Unable to stand by and see the condemned men die without a chance, they plunged into the fire and dragged many to safety. Doctors were summoned by the prison broadcasting station. Dr Betty Morris, the first wqman physician on the scene, was a calm and courageous figure. She was treated with the greatest respect by convicts both white and black, and they brought her medical supplies. Miss Amanda Thomas, the warden’s daughter, took charge of the outer office, issuing machine guns ami ammunition, ordering the guards to their ; posts, summoning troops, and sending for medical supplies. At least one former prisoner could have written a. masterpiece on the night’s events, for “O. Henry,” the novelist, served three years there for embezzlement and drew from the inmates the material for some of his finest stories.

An investigation into the disaster was opened and a storm of criticism developed. The demand was made that tin: warden be suspended until responsibility for tlie outbreak is fixed.

It. is sarcastically said that the State prison is up-to-date in one thing only—its radio. While the fire was burning Convict 46,812 stood in front of tlie microphone in the prisoners’ radio room and calmly told the story of tlie outbreak.