FIERCE GUN BATTLE

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 April 1946, Page 7

FIERCE GUN BATTLE

CLASH IN ITALIAN GAOL POLICE HELD AS'HOSTAGES (Rec. 12.10 p.m.) MILAN, April 22. The fierce gun battle at San Vittore gaol was still raging to-night between mutinous inmates and the police and regular army soldiers, who ar ebesieging the prison. So far one has been killed and 20 wounded. The mutineers are holding as hostages 25 warders and policemen, thus hampering the efforts of the police and soldiers to restore order. The mutineers, who include several under sentence of death, possess an “astonishing amount” of firearms, ammunition and hand grenades. The revolt, which began at 4 p.m. yesterday, spread like fire. There are no locks on the cells, as they were wrenched from the doors during previous uprisings and never replaced. A truce was called early to-day when it appeared the mutineers were about to capitulate, but at 9 a.m. they announced that the truce had ended and called on the populace to “rise against the law in favour of us.” One reopened fire. Moaning voices were heard over loudspeakers saying “I am dying” and “We have got many wounded among us.” The battle at one point reached such proportions that traffic in nearby blocks was diverted because of the danger of flying bullets.