The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-13

| always had the active cooperation Of the
officials of the Kansas peniteutiary. The
| chaplain or that institution, Rev. W. b.
| Ponselt, was unceasing in his devotion to
the cause of the prisoners. With the array
of letters, before him, one of the last offi-
cial acts of Governor Humphrey was TO
sign for Winner and McNutr a COM
imitation of sentence reducing their
sentence to twenty-five years i'm
prisonment By good behavior Win
ner and NcNutt have gained in time
| 1854 days, their sentence, of a quarter of a
century as fixed by Governor Humphrey,
will expire on June 10. 1894 On the
evening OF Jan. the com mu tations of
sentence WAS signed by Governor Hum
| phrey and handed to Senator Bentley the
senior counsel for the prisoners. He said
it was reward for good behavior, and
| strict and paiustaking care in the observ-
auce of all of the rules of the Kansas peni-
! Tertiary. 1t WAS An object lesson which
| says to all the inmates Of that institution.
| that care and obedience and a strict
observance of duty will bring reward, even
to life convict in the Kansas penitenti-
AIRY.
After receiving from the governor the
communications for Winner aud McNutt,
Mr.. Bentley put them in his grip and
came quietly home. Nothing was said or
written by him, until Sunday afternoon
he wrote a letter to the chaplain of the
penitentiary asking him to convey the
news to Winner and McNutt This letter
reached Lansing about noon on Monday
last. At this time almost the last ray of
hope had left Winner and McNutt. Win
ner was for the first time in nearly nine
teen years seriously indisposed, and Nc
Mutt was pale and sad. The word had
been passed around among the employees
and officers that the application had failed,
but the letter to the chaplain put a
new phase on the matter. When the
word reached Winner he could hardly
contain himself. He acted like a wild
Commando. When the news came to
McNutt he almost swooued away; re-
covering himself, he wept like child.
His first thought was for his old mother
who lives in NoYia Scotia. He said, |
have been feeding my mother on hope for
nearly nineteen years Now then | have
something glorious to write her. The
news to Winner was like dose of medi-
aud when seen by his counsel Mr.. Bentley
and his father on Tuesday last, was as
bright as a new dollar. The documents
of communication were eagerly scanned
by the prisoners after which they were
placed on the record by the warden's
clerk.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
On the morning of the 18th day Of De-
cember, 1878. fire broke out in a frame
building on North Main street which was
located on the lot now occupied by Hellar's
meat market. The first floor of the build
ing was occupied by two young ladies
named Faraday and Hanley as "A millinery
shop, while the upstairs WAS used as
paint shop and sleeping apartments by
Arthur Winner aud Joseph McNutt. who,
at that time had been in Wichita about
three months and apparently doing a pros
porous business. a fire in thsse DAYS was
more of a novelty than now and Of
course a big crowd turned out
for at the time the city was protected
against fire only by Frontier Hose and
Carriage company, of which Charley
Phillips, now of the district clerks Office,
was chief. A colored man named Johnson
was the first man TO arrive on the scene of
the fire and at the foot of the stairs he
found Winner bleeding and seemingly
nearly unconscious. The fire ragged with
all the fury of winter night and it could
not be subdued. Shortly the second floor
began falling and the body of a man was
seen tumblug down among the ruins.
The body was taken cut as soon as
possible and taken over to the Office
of Judge Lauck, which was located about
where the Candy Kitchen is at present.
There the shriveled remains were laid
out on the floor, and those who saw it
tremble now when they think of IT, Up to
this time it was thought to be the bouy of
McNutt, as he was missing and, although
there was apparently nothing strange
about the matter, nevertheless, everybody
at the fire that night felt that there was
foul deed committed. A current
of suspicion ran through the
crowd simultaneously, for which
there was no reason ut that time. The
fire and the burning of the man in it
created great excitement, The suspicious
that prevailed among the crowd at the
fire increased, but for few days no theory
could be given for so dark crime. 1t was
soon learned that McNutt had an insur-
ance policy on his life amounting to s., 600,
and this, of course, caused some suspicious
talks. 1t was next learned that Winner
and McNutt had telegraphed to Kansas
City for a calciminer whose name was
Sewer. On the oath OF December a
telegram was received from Sci
yer saying that he would
ho inn In nt
here, aud the authorities made inquiries
about him in Kansas City aud other
places, only to fiud that he had started to
Wichita on the 24th, as be stated, and had
not been seen afterwards The next issue
of the EAGLE after the fire suggested that
Sever might be the victim, aud that his
death might be the result OF conspiracy
between Winner and McNutt to obtain
the insurance on McNutt's life. 1t was a
plausible theory and was followed up by
the officers. At the coroner's jury trial
Winner told what purported 10 be the
story of the burning Of the building. which
was tissue of falsehoods from beginning
20 eud. He maintained thar the dead body
was that of Joseph McNutt without
doubt. He said that he and McNutt
went to bed together about
l2 o'clock and that the uexJ thing he knew
some one was choking him and slashing
him with knife aAd he showed a fearful
wound on his body to substantiate his
statement. The next thing he knew ne
found himself at the foot of the stairs
with colored man named johnson who
lived about where Dunbar's undertaking
establishment Is now His statement, in
g,-fT -s1,. s~rr #
issue OF Jan. l. 1874, and il il about as
plausible falseho3d as ever was uttered
by man. Tue impression he desired 10