PRISON MYSTERY
FOUR CONVICTS DEAD SEQUEL TO HUNGER STRIKE FINDING BY THE CORONER CASES OF FATAL SCALDS By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright (Received August 23, 5.15 p.m.) PHILADELPHIA, August 23 A five-day hunger strike in a county prison against the monotonous food ended when four of the convicts were found dead in isolation cells.
The superintendent, William Mills, announced that the men had committed suicide, but the coroner said there were mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths. The bodies were black and blue and skin was burnt off in places.
Mills said the men were troublemakers. The hunger strikers had succumbed gradually to an aroma of roast beef that was circulated throughout the prison, but the four men who died hung on doggedly. Mills denied that rubber hoses, live steam and tear gas were used, and added that possibly the men were killed in fighting among themselves.
The coroner declared that the men had been scalded to death.
Two State investigations are to open to-day.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23124, 24 August 1938, Page 13
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163PRISON MYSTERY New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23124, 24 August 1938, Page 13
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