On this day, April 21, 1930, a fire at an Ohio prison killed 322 inmates. It is the deadliest jail fire in U.S. history.
The fire at the state penitentiary in downtown Columbus was started by a candle that ignited some oily rags on the roof. Some inmates were killed because the guards would not release them from their cells.
Prison officials claimed that three prisoners started the fire to create a diversion so they could escape.
Others said prison officials blamed the inmates to avoid responsibility for the deaths.
The prison was built to hold 1,500 people. On the night of the fire, it housed 4,300.
Two of the three inmates accused of starting the fire committed suicide months after the blaze.
-Scott McCabe
