Fifty years ago: Local men held hostage during OSP prison riot

Jul. 27—Fifty years ago today, Oklahoma State Penitentiary employees Darryl Rhoads and E.L. Coplen had no way of knowing if they would ever see another sunrise.

They were among the 22 hostages grabbed by rampaging inmates and held hostage as the July 27, 1973, prison riot exploded at OSP in McAlester.

While they had concerns for their life, they both said they had faith and made peace with God while being held captive behind the walls.

As they and others were held hostage inside the prison, inmates ran amok over the prison grounds, torching buildings, smashing windows and spreading chaos.

The two men were held hostage in separate parts of the prison and had very different experiences while inside.

They both participated in a July 22 event over the weekend held at the Tannehill Museum in McAlester. Hosted by Jake Tannehill and former OSP Warden Dan Reynolds, they remembered the 50th anniversary of the devastating 1973 OSP prison riot. They were also reunited with former Oklahoma National Guard hostage negotiator Sam Utterback, one of those credited with helping negotiate the freeing of hostages and ultimately an end to the rampage

The News-Capital also spoke with Rhoads about his experiences while being held hostage during what's been called the most destructive prison riot in terms of property damage in U.S. history, with damage assessed at approximately $22 million in 1973 dollars and 24 buildings destroyed.

Three inmates were killed by other inmates during the riot and another died of natural causes, with 35 injuries among correctional officers and inmates reported injured during the outbreak.

It all started when some inmates who feared they were going to be punished for getting inebriated on homemade prison brew lashed out and took several correctional officers captive, according to later reports.

Both OSP Capt. C.C. Smith and Lt. Thomas Payne were stabbed in the prison's mess hall.

Deputy Warden Sam Johnston and Jack Hall, another DOC official, rushed to help the injured officers, but were taken captive and held as hostages themselves.

Both Rhoads and Coplen, who were in different parts of the prison as the riot began to rage, knew something had gone wrong through the unusual noises they heard as inmates stormed through the prison.

"I was told there was a fight," said Rhoads, who operated the prison's print shop. It didn't take long for the "fight" to reach the print shop, when a group of inmates stormed in and took Rhoads and another DOC employee named Bob captive.

"They took me and Bob up to the mess hall," Rhoads said.

Although the prison was storming into chaos around him, Rhoads said he did his best to remain calm. Other than keeping him captive, Rhoads said the inmates holding him didn't mistreat him, although he saw another DOC employee beaten for no apparent reason.

Rhoads already had a plan in mind if authorities stormed the prison with guns blazing in an attempt to free the inmates.

"I was going to lay down and play dead," Rhoads said. "I didn't want this to become another Attica."

Rhoads was referring to the 1971 riot at Attica prison in upstate New York, when 39 people were killed, including 29 inmates and 10 guards, when authorities stormed the prison with guns blazing after launching a tear gas attack. Medical examiners later determined that all of the correctional officers and other corrections employees who had been held hostage and were killed during the assault to retake the prison were killed by gunfire from other officers, not by the inmates.

At OSP, as the day turned into a long night of captivity, Rhoads prepared for the worst.

"At 5:30 that morning I made my peace with the Lord," he said. "I really didn't think I was going to see that morning."

A friendly inmate offered to get Rhoads cigarettes, something to drink or anything along those lines.

Rhoads said he didn't smoke cigarettes, but occasionally liked to smoke a cigar. Soon, the inmate returned with a box of Roi-Tan cigars. Rhoads said he made the best of the situation, telling some jokes while he smoked.

"About 3 o'clock that morning, they said 'We need to get you out,'" Rhoads said. Earlier, Rhoads, who was a National Guardsmen himself, had suggested they deal with the Oklahoma National Guard, which was on the scene outside the prison along with an army of law enforcement officers.

That led to Oklahoma National Guardsman Sam Utterbeck becoming involved. Rhoads already knew Utterbeck, because they served in the National Guard outfit together.

Finally, the inmates holding Rhoads and the other print shop worker taken hostage released them.

Rhoads said he went outside without realizing he had on the same sort of clothing as some of the inmates.

When Rhoads finally emerged from captivity, he crossed the street to find his family and children awaiting him.

Although all of the inmates were released by July 28, 1973, the second day of the riot, it wound on until Aug. 4, 1973 — mainly because rioting inmates damaged locking mechanisms in many of the cells.

Since the riot, Rhoad's had several other careers, including a time spent as a pressman at the McAlester News-Capital.

For a day that started as another usual day behind the walls at OSP, it quickly spun out of control on July 27, 1973.

Rhoads took note of how quickly things can change and he offered advice on how everyone should start their day.

"You need to tell your people you love them, because you don't know if you'll see them that night," he said.

Today, Rhoads believes he survived the 1973 OSP prison riot for a reason.

"The good Lord got me out of there so I could start working with youth ministry, working with kids and trying to set a good example," he said.

Coming Next E.L. Coplen recalls his time as a hostage during the 1973 riot at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.