1929 — Dec 11, Prison Riot, eight convicts and head keeper killed, Auburn Prison, NY– 9

–12 Blanchard tally including three executed later at Sing Sing for their participation.
–9 at the time
–3 inmates executed later at Sing Sing Prison for their participation in the uprising.
–9 AP. “Prison Riot is Quelled; Nine Killed.” Creston News Advertiser, IA. 12-12-1929, p. 1.
–9 Cayuga Museum of History and Art. Both Sides of the Wall Prison Riots (webpage).
–9 Syracuse Herald, NY. “Dead.” 12-12-1929, p. 27.
–9 Syracuse Herald, NY. “Auburn Prison Riot Crushed; 9 Dead…” 12-12-1929, p. 1.

Narrative Information

Dec 11: “Auburn, Dec 11. – Revolt which broke out in Auburn Prison late this morning was still in progress this afternoon, with National Guard troops and police from Syracuse [~29 miles away] and nearby cities surrounding the walls and State Troopers conducting a running gun battle through the prison in an effort to subdue the riot before it brought about a general prison delivery.

“Warden Edgar S. Jennings, who was held prisoner for more than two hours by convicts, who threatened to shoot him and 12 guards held as hostages unless they were released and allowed to leave the prison area unmolested, was rescued by a storming party of State troopers who used tear gas to rout the revolters from the hall in which they were barricaded.

“George Durnford, principal keeper, is dead, shot down by the rioters when he attempted to give the alarm as the revolt broke out.

“Several convicts were shot and at least two of them are dead, with the probability that the casualty list will run higher as the day advances. Troopers are hunting down the rioters in all corners of the prison yard and fighting a pitched battle with them, the convicts being fully armed.

“Henry Sullivan, a convict, of Buffalo, was identified as one of the victims.

“George H. Sullivan, an assistant principal keeper, has been named acting warden, pending recovery of Warden Jennings.

“According to prison attaches, among the ringleaders of today’s revolt were:

Henry Sullivan, who escaped last month. He was serving a 20-year sentence from Buffalo and was given a life sentence later for the escape.

Ernest Pavesi, sentenced from Kings County on a charge of robbery for 40 years.

Joseph Bravetta, sentenced from Kings County for 20 years and later sentenced to life on a charge of escaping in July.

Steve Pawlak, sentenced to 20 years and later to life on a charge of escaping in July.

“There is no possibility that any of the convicts will escape. Acting Governor Herbert H. Lehman ordered out the National Guard at noon and three companies are now drawn up around the walls, with loaded rifles, reinforced by 40 Syracuse police, more than 100 sheriffs and deputies, and thousands of volunteers armed with rifles and shotguns. Two more companies of the National Guard are speeding to Auburn from Syracuse.

“The storming of the prison followed several hours of delay, during which the authorities hesitated to rush the rioters because of the fear that Warden Jennings would be shot.

“William Sullivan, a guard captured with the Warden this morning, was released just before noon with this ultimatum: ‘Let us out or we’ll shoot the Warden and all the guards.’ The ultimatum was taken to Dr. Raymond F. Keib, superintendent of corrections, and then to Governor Lehman. Both made the same answer. ‘If they come out, shoot,’ they ordered. ‘If they don’t come out, go in and get them.’

“Capt. Stephen McGrath, commanding Troop D of Oneida, headed a party that went inn to ‘get them.’ With revolvers in one hand and tear gas bombs in the other, the troopers rushed the hall in which the convicts were barricaded. A few minutes later, they returned, carrying Warden Jennings. He was unconscious and was rushed immediately to the Auburn City Hospital,, but it was found that he was un-wounded and was suffering merely from the effects of the gas. He will recover.

“Sergeant Martin Dillon and several other troopers were pulled out, unconscious, as a result of the rapid spread of the gas. All of them were revived, however, and went back.

“The bodies of two convicts had been brought out a 1:30 o’clock and shooting from inside the walls indicated that more victims would be picked up later. Several wounded convicts were also taken out soon after the rescue of the warden.

“Shortly before 1 o’clock the convicts sent word that, if the gate were opened and three automobiles, with engines running, were placed in the street, they would free their hostages and leave. The automobiles were so placed, with thousands of guns trained on them, but the convicts did not appear. It was after the failure of this ruse that the troopers decided to storm the prison.

“The rioters were led by the so-called ‘idle company,’ about 200 men who are known to have figured in the riot of July 28 and who have since been held in close confinement, segregated within the walls. These men, as soon as their early luncheon had been put on the table in the mess hall about 11 o’clock, suddenly whipped revolvers from inside their blouses and covered the 12 guards on duty in the hall. All of the 12 submitted to being disarmed, which gave the convicts plenty of weapons in addition to those which apparently had been smuggled inside the walls in preparation for the revolt.

“Durnford, the principal keeper, who was in the hall, attempted to rush out into the front of the prison to spread the alarm. Several convicts fired at him and he fell, wounded in several places.

“All this was carried out without any noise beyond the firing at Durnford and the rest of the prison was in ignorance that anything unusual had occurred until a trusty appeared at the office of the warden and announced that Warden Edgar S. Jennings was ‘wanted.’ Unsuspectingly, the warden went back into the mess hall and was promptly seized and handcuffed to one of the 12 helpless guards.

“The alarm was not spread until David Winney, a guard on duty ‘out front,’ went back into the mess hall on an errand. In the door, he was confronted by a convict with a revolver who ordered him to throw up his hands and walk inside. Instead, Winney dropped to the floor, throwing himself sideways as he fell, and then scrambled back down the corridor toward the front office. The convict fired at the retreating guard, but missed, and Winney made the main office safely. He slammed and locked the big steel door behind him.

“An attempt to call help was handicapped by the fact that the telephone wires inside the walls had been cut, cutting off all communication between different parts of the prison. A wire was found, however, leading from a sentinel post at the main gate, which was intact, and over this, keepers began calling for help from all sections.

“The appeal went all over Central New York and within 10 minutes, State troopers, deputy sheriffs, city police and volunteer posses were racing to the scene in high-powered automobiles and motorcycles and by train.

“Meanwhile, the revolting convicts herded Warden Jennings and their other prisoners into the south hall of the main building, where they were held captive. Scouts sent to the front of the prison found that the Auburn police force, together with the fire department, deputy sheriffs and armed citizens had already blocked that means of escape.

“The cordon drawn about the walls was steadily increased and at 11:40 o’clock it was expanded by the arrival of two companies of the 108th Infantry, National Guard, commanded by Maj. F. H. Johnson of Auburn. Sixty State Troopers, commanded by Capt. Stephen McGrath of Troop D, Oneida, were on the scene at that hour. Before noon, more than 2,500 armed men were patrolling the area around the prison walls, making it beyond the realm of possibility for any convict to escape. All traffic was diverted from the prison area and residents of the vicinity were notified to either vacate, temporarily, or barricade themselves and prepare for a battle.

“The next development was the appearance of William Sullivan, sergeant of the guard, who was one of those captured early by the revolting men. Sullivan was allowed to make his way to the front office with the ultimatum of the rioters. ‘We want a free passage to the outside for all of us,’ the leaders told him. ‘If we don’t get it, we’ll shoot the warden and all the guards. You can have 15 minutes to decide.’ Sullivan reported that Warden Jennings had also given him this message: ‘For God’s sake, give these fellows what they want!’

“The ultimatum was relayed by telephone to Dr. Raymond F. Keib, commissioner of corrections at Albany. He rejected it, instantly. ‘If the convicts come out, shoot them,’ he ordered. ‘If they don’t come out, go in and get them.’

“Dr. Keib, after rejecting the proposal, conferred with Acting Governor Herbert H. Lehman. ‘You did exactly right,’ said the Governor. ‘To make any compromise with these men would break down the whole prison system in this State. I am ordering every State agency to do its utmost to uphold the authority and traditions of the State in this crisis.’

“The Jennings message caused some hesitancy on the part of the commanders of the guards around the prison. Some of these hesitated to rush the rioters, fearing the threat to kill the Warden would be carried out. But Lieut. Solvay Perry, who was then in command of the State troopers, pending arrival of Capt. Stephen McGrath, decided the issue. ‘We’ll give them 15 minutes to come out,’ he said. ‘If they don’t come out, we’ll go in. And we’ll go shooting. The warden and everybody else must take his chance.’

“It the next few minutes, Captain McGrath arrived and took command. So did a party of Syracuse police, headed by Commissioner Christopher C. Bradley and Chief Martin L. Cadin. The police carried a supply of tear gas bombs.

“Just before 1 o’clock, a group of troopers, led by Captain McGrath, went in. They carried guns in one hand and bombs in the other. They were not fired upon until they had passed from the view of the thousands who stood by the gate.

“Ten minutes later, there was firing inside the prison. It also broke out around the walls, guards stationed there shouting that ‘the convicts are rushing the walls.’ The attack was repulsed.

“Then, some of the troopers reappeared. They carried a body in their arms. It was recognized as Warden Jennings. They laid it down on the front porch. He was unconscious. A group gathered around it, shutting off the view of those outside. The troopers then went back into the prison. Firing continued.

“At the same time orders were received for mobilization of the National Guard companies in Syracuse and Geneva and their immediate dispatch to Auburn. They were called in at once and preparations made for immediate entrainment.

“Mrs. Jennings, wife of the Warden, was barricaded in the Warden’s house inside the prison walls all during the excitement. She was protected by civilian employes, heavily armed, who were ready to repulse any attack.

“The State Department of Corrections had its first warning of the outbreak when it tried to put in a routine telephone call for Warden Jennings. The operator reported that the wires were down and the department, fearing trouble, was trying to get an investigation made when the ultimatum came from Sergeant Sullivan….

“The official capacity of the prison is 1,282, so that it has been overcrowded [1,497] beyond the danger point ever since the last riot [July 29].” (Syracuse Herald, NY. “Troopers Shoot Barricaded Convicts in Pitched Battle at Auburn Prison; Head Keeper is Slain; Jennings Saved.” 12-11-1929, pp. 1-2)

Dead
George A. Durnford, Auburn; principal keeper.
Henry Sullivan, Buffalo; convict; leader of revolt; shot down in rush that released Warden.
Steve Pawlak, Buffalo; convict; killed in south cell block.
Ernest Pavesi, Brooklyn; convict; died in hospital.
“Stephen Sporey, Buffalo; convict; shot during clean-up.
Perry Johnson, Binghamton; convict; shot by convicts.
Alex Tucholka, Buffalo; convict; short in south cell block.
Julius Stefenek, Brooklyn; convict; shot in south cell block.
James Biancrossi, Buffalo; convict; shot in south cell block.

(Syracuse Herald, NY. “Dead.” 12-12-1929, p. 27.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Prison Riot is Quelled; Nine Killed.” Creston News Advertiser, IA. 12-12-1929, p.1. Accessed 5-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/creston-news-advertiser-dec-12-1929-p-9/

Cayuga Museum of History and Art. Both Sides of the Wall Prison Riots (webpage). Accessed 5-28-2022 at: http://www.correctionhistory.org/auburn&osborne/brochure7.htm

Cayuga Museum of History & Art, NY. “Riots and Reconstruction.” (webpage). Accessed 5-28-2022 at: http://cayugamuseum.org/riots-and-reconstruction/

Syracuse Herald, NY. “Auburn Prison Riot Crushed; 9 Dead; Mutiny Shakes Whole Penal System.” 12-12-1929, p. 1. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-dec-12-1929-p-1/

Syracuse Herald, NY. “Dead.” 12-12-1929, p. 27. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-dec-12-1929-p-27/

Syracuse Herald, NY. “Troopers Shoot Barricaded Convicts in Pitched Battle at Auburn Prison; Head Keeper is Slain; Jennings Saved.” 12-11-1929, pp. 1-2. Accessed 5-28-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/syracuse-herald-dec-11-1929-p-1/