The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-15

before the earliest child had awakened to |
search their stockings-the cry OF IRE
awoke the town. A fire, in those DAYS, |
was the signal for everybody to turn out.
The fire company was a volunteer one, and |
consisted of long rope tied to cylindrl- |
cal milk-can, which fixed like soda foun- |
tain when charged, and usually succeeded
in doing more damage than the fire. Ihe
masculine portion of the town would get
ahold of this rope and pull it to the hre,
where, if the conaagration had ceased,
they would turn the fzz on the congre-
gated crowd; and, if the fire still ragged,
directed their efforts to the untouched
goods in the next building. The particu-
lar perception in man, and the ubiqulty
of given object at night. makes the aver
age citizen, when he sees a fire, not only
fancy, but conclude, that 1t IS his own
place of business that is burning. The shell
that was feeding the Pickering flames on
this occasion stood on North Main street,
on the west side Of the street near the
SPOT on which the Wholesale Grocery
company's old building is now situated.
As the crowd gathered, one man was
found badly wounded with his head on
the ground and his feet on the stairway,
and after while, the second floor or tne
building fell in and the spectators We're
Mortified to see CHASTITY corpse burning
and frying in the heat go rolling down
into the cellar. The first man was
Winner, the second man was supposed 10
be McNutt. To make long story short
and to sum up the trail of long tran
succinctly, it was proven to the SAUSAGE
ton of the court that Winner and McNutt
had fixed up scheme. Winner was 49,
McNutt probably 25 McNutt had five
thousand dollar insurance policy on his
life. They were both painters and hao
been in town only a few weeks. Ihey
had sent for journeyman painter,
named Seaber, from Topeka. They were
to fire the building; McNutt was to fly;
Winner to mutilate himself and tell
story of having had conflict with some
stranger in the dark. The burned trunk
was to pass for McNutt. Winner was TO
get the insurance money. The subsequent
trial developed that the dead man was
Seaber. that McNutt and Winner had
drugged him, poured kerosene on MIN anu
set him and the building on fire: McNutt
had fled. Winner cut himself fearfully on
| the head and side and dropped to the bot
tom of the stairway, where, upon being
picked up, told his story OF an encounter
| in the dark. The murder came out IN a
| peculiar manner. McNutt's wife, pretty
delicate little woman who lived IN Kansas
| City, was notified OF the plot and the morn
| ing OF the murder, letter was found from
her, telling her husband OF her extreme
| poyerty and begging him not to do the
deed These words ibid the business.
.sIf YOU carry that on we will all be ruined
BEFORE | will have the name of stealing and
numbering for wealth, l will beg on hands
and knees" She says she has only one
dime and she sends that as Christmas
nresentl The dime and the letter is still
preserved in the EAGLE Office. McNuti
was afterwards found, and both mer
finally sentenced to be hanged. Seventeen
years ago they went to the state penlten
tiary at Lansing, imprisonment Tor lie De
ing substitute for hanging in Kansas
In company with Senator Bentley, TIT
EAGLE representative visited the sta1'
penitentiary recently. This institution /!
situated among the hills in little village
near Leavenworth, the name OF which L
familiar to every criminal and vagapon'
in the west-Lansing The building IS
medieval one with turreted walls an'
sentry towers. The shops form an Inn
| mepse structure to themselves rs 90 III
insane wards; the engine houses, tn
woman's apartments this with the prlsoI
proper is surrounded by high, tE1ck wall
One of a sensitive nature has some abhor
renee of visiting a prison, fearing ina
each case will excite his sympathy and Sc
him to brooding over the ills of nlankln'
in general. But he soon gets over this ii
is not shocked by the first stripes tina
strike his eyes. They become too general
For stripes meet him at the depot to drlv
him UP to the prison in the warden's Cal
riage Stripes take his luggage at In
nrlson gates. Stripes take his Goa
and hat in the hall; stripe
black his boots, and wait o.
him at the table There are stripes every
} where. Instead of singing out every ma
as murderer, he comes to regard then
generally as very decent set OF fellows
who have fallen under the weight OF H1ls
fortune and their own misdemeanors. IN
first sight visitor gets of the convicts
in the morning when they are bought on
, in SQUADS with their cell-buckets. The
are mached in squads across the pave
court, every officer with fire-arm ready
It is here the dreadful lockstep is frs
heard and seen. 1t is not step; 1t Is no
a walk. 1t is roll-a roll of q line Of huma
wretches-slowly forward and the foot
| stems fa.l-on this side and that, on tha
, and this-the first man with his arm
folded-those following with their hand
|. on one anothers shoulders. There IS
| where human life looks of so little wortt
, In all the horror of the prison there IS n
scene so impressive and appalling as thl
8 lock-step. 1t is dreadful 1t issaid to han
5 onaman for q convict years after. 1t
: peculiar and distressing. 1t was here ths
. | McNutt and Winner were pointed OF
: wedoed in between a line of convict!
There were some queer characters anon
: them. Most of them are young boy
/ There was an old fellow who attracted OF
Y attention in particular. He was SO q
crepit that he could not keep up with h1
0 SQUAD and came limping up behind. W
g asked about him. He has been there lou
/. or five times and is natural thief. h
+ can't help stealing. The last time he VIZ
e liberated, be stole the assistant warden
/. horse to ride away with and With
f twenty-four hours he was captured al
+ back in the prison content. McNutt an
Il Winner are seen best on Sunday, the OF
# at chaple and the other at school,. Chap
|, is very interesting. In highly colore
n hall. the only thing out OF the regult
i uonotony of the grey stone, men 81
n marched in squads under the muzzle
e guns-marched in to meet their God. Ar
Y how attentively they listen TO the sermt
g humor Of the chaplain's and laugh