Steak & Ice Cream

After five days of riot and siege, 170 victorious holdouts at Southern Michigan State Prison strutted forth from their barricades in Cell Block 15 last week with a signed statement of total surrender by prison and state officials. Guards and state troopers, by specific demand of the prisoners, stayed discreetly in the background as the convicts released their eight hostages, submitted to a search for weapons by their own leaders, then marched triumphantly to the mess hall for a victory banquet of steak, ice cream (imported from the outside) "and all the trimmings."

The convicts could have had an earlier victory. On the third day of the revolt that left one convict dead, nine wounded, and $2,500,000 worth of prison property smashed and burned (TIME, April 28), prison officials surrendered on all the mutineers' demands (including a liberalized parole system, dismissal of brutal guards, no retaliation for the riot). But the convicts held out for two more days, quibbling over details and assurances, glorying in the publicity and the anxious discomfort of officials--and knifing and roughing four convicts who wanted to call it quits, while 35 homosexual convicts ran wild through the cell block.

A New Era. As the revolt came to an end, Dr. Vernon B. Fox, young (36) psychologist and deputy warden who had conducted final negotiations for the surrender, took to the prison radio with a message of praise for the rioters. Said Fox: "Congratulations to you men of 15 block. You have performed a service. This may presage a new era (in administration) of American prisons."

The two riot leaders, for whom Psychologist Fox had the highest praise, were

Ringleaders Earl Ward and "Crazy" Jack Hyatt. In 1950 Hyatt, with two other prisoners, had seized Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams during an inspection tour at Marquette Prison, knifed a state trooper bodyguard, and attempted to escape, using the governor as a shield. Ward, once an inmate of a mental institution, has a record for kidnaping, robbery, narcotics and armed assault. Said Fox: "Earl Ward is a natural leader. He and the other boys are to be congratulated on the good faith with which they have bargained."

Good Old Earl. By this week, most officials involved were backing down hard. Fox, first praised for his successful negotiations with the rioters, was relieved of his prison duties. Warden Julian N. Frisbie announced there would be no great change in prison administration. As for reprisals, he said, assurances were only that there would be none by prison officials or guards. The rioters are still subject to punishment by outside law enforcement agencies. But some Michigan citizens had reason to wonder why anyone would want to keep such a splendid character as good old Earl Ward behind bars at all.

In Denver, Warden Roy Best and eight of his Colorado State Penitentiary guards were indicted by a grand jury last week for violating the civil rights of five prisoners who, the indictment charged, were flogged, choked and burned with lighted cigarettes. Complained Best: "How can we handle these toughies? If my guards see one of those murderers 'going over the wall,' what're they supposed to do, warn the prisoner he is going to lose his canteen privileges, or blow 'em to hell off the wall?"

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