Conrad J Betz: Escape Attempt Takes His Life

Conrad J Betz was born 4 Oct 1897 in Illinois. To John P Betz (1865-1930) and Rosa (1860-1909).  Conrad was the youngest of four children.





Inmate #14379 Folsom
Crime: Burglary 2nd Degree
Term: 5-Life
Age: 28
Occupation: Mechanic 





Conrad was in WWI and was in France, I did not find and enlistment date. But I found several U.S. Army Transport Records.












This is the ship he left France in on 20 Oct 1919 arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey.

He not only had contracted syphilis but he was placed in U.S. Disciplinary Barrack at Leavenworth in Nov of 1919 inmate #18255 for 3 years for Drunk and disorderly & Insubordination, while serving in France he was discharged 11 Feb 1920.

The he went to Arizona and was arrested for burglary spent 6 mo in jail 1921  . On 29 Dec 1921 He was received at the Nevada State Prison for burglary a term of 1-5 years, paroled Mar 1923. Then he went to California. It was mentioned in a newspaper clipping that he did time in Colorado.



On 24 Nov 1927 Thanksgiving Day, Folsom Prison was taken over by inmates.


Healdsburg Tribune, Number 148, 1 May 1929 

Five Folsom Riot Ringleaders Must Die on Gallows

Five of the six Folsom prisoners, who led a desperate attempted prison break on Thanksgiving day of 1927, must die on the gallows for the murder of fellow prisoners. They are: Tony Brown, San Francisco bandit, the ringleader; “Eddie” Stokes, Los Angeles thief; Walter E. Burke, Sacramento robber; James  Gregg, Fresno murderer, and Eugene Crosby, Oakland holdup man. The fate of the sixth convict, Albert M. Stewart, the “men with 21 aliases,” who turned state’s evidence, is still in the balance, as his case was not included with that of the request before the supreme court. The attempted break on Thanksgiving day, 1927, cost the lives of four guards, seven convicts and three deputy sheriffs, turned 1200 of the 2100 prisoners into a rioting horde, which seized the inner sections of the prison and called into action 500 national guardsmen and as many more deputy sheriffs and other posse men.



More about the Folsom Riot at link above


Photo's of that horrible day below






Unfortunately for Conrad he was shot in the chest.






Conrad J Betz is buried in the Folsom prison Cemetery


Added to FAG by EDHGS Memorial #170112289

Conrad never married, he was 30 years old when he died.









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