Frank Smith, central figure in 1971 Attica riots, dies

KINSTON, N.C. (AP) — Frank Smith, a central figure in the bloody Attica prison uprising who later became a spokesman for fellow prisoners in a lawsuit against New York state, died after a long battle with cancer.

Smith died Saturday at age 70, officials at Swinson Funeral Home said.

Smith was appointed by fellow inmates to keep prisoners under control amid negotiations after 40 prison employees were taken hostage during a four-day standoff at Attica that began on Sept. 9, 1971.

The uprising involving nearly 1,300 inmates erupted after several months of complaints about conditions at the prison. It ended in the deaths of 32 inmates and 11 prison employees.

Smith was released from prison in 1973.