Blood in the Water

Michael Smith was in many ways a typical CO. From rural New York State, he took a job in the prison system to support and marry his wife. First at a prison in Napanoch, New York, he then moved to Attica. Smith tried to treat the prisoners with respect but was concerned by the inhumane treatment practiced by other COs. When Oswald gave the recorded response to the prisoners, he becomes worried that something would happen.

After the disappointment of Oswald’s message, and with failed promises of reform, as Thompson says, “most men at Attica were now at a breaking point” (45). Sure enough, on September 8, 1971, an incident occurred. At 3:30pm, Leroy Dewer and another man were sparring with each other in the recreation yard when a CO misinterpreted what was happening as a genuine fight and called senior CO Lieutenant Maroney, who then ordered Dewer to his cell. When Dewer refused, Maroney grabbed him, and Dewer turned and punched him. Maroney informed prison superintendent Mancusi but got no response. Later that evening, COs went to take Dewer to solitary confinement, and when he stalled, they dragged him out of his cell. With the commotion, many prisoners thought that guards had killed Dewer.