The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-08-02
" Variety.
BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE.
Sensation Experienced by Two Prisoners
Set at Liberty After Twenty Years.

'SenSaClOn experienced Dy Two PRISONERS
Set at Liberty After Twenty Years.
At O'Clock on Sunday morning Warden Chase
of Lansing, Kan, unlocked the cells of Arthur
Winner and Charles McNutt. He took Winner
and McNutt to the prison barber shop and af-
ter they were shaved gave them two government
suits, which did not fit at all. Winner who
worked in the prison shoe shop had brought
two pairs of patent leather shoes. The men put
these on. With the highly japanned and styl-
ishly pointed foOtgear and with the ridiculously
cheap and awkward clothes they, in company
with ex-senator o. H. Bentley of Wichita. step
ped outside the great stone walls.
For 20 years they had seen neither tree shrub.
bird, flower, grass nor domestic animal. Two of
Warden Chase's daughters met them just out
side the door and presented them with two beau
tiful flowers. Several trustees approached them
beamng and presented them with bouquets as
they went down the path.
Tears were in both mems eyes.
..See!' cried Winner the more demonstrative
of the two. There is a town. There was no
town here when l went ill.,"
THAT is Lansing said Mr.. Bentley.
Lets not 60 there said Winner. II want to
go to those wOods.'
McNutt agreed, and they went over to a
thicket by the roadside. The two came across a
COW.
rs that COVE" asked Winner hesitatingly.
'Dont 60 on. Let me look at it,
And he circled around the animal.
Then he approached her timOrOuSly and laid
his hand on her back. This he said. sis the
only COW 1 have seen in 2O.years.'
Arthur" said McNutt very slowly and deliber-
ately, "dO you notice how queer it is to talk
loudly? How queer the words Gomez"
II wonder if L could sing. guess not said
Winner And he did not try.
Both men curiOusly felt the bark of every tree
they came upon. Finally with their arms filled
high with green twigs and flowers they went to
the hotel in Lansing.
Later in the day the whole party went to Kan
sas City. The long imprisonment had dulled the
mems minds. They asked about everything
they saw. McNutt wanted to know what grape
vines were.
When they reached Kansas City, they both
began to place things that,they had read about
in the newspapers.
McNutt could not distinguish between cable
car. He insisted upon trying both and finally
got it int his head which was1which Winner
was 10 years old when he went to the penitent-
airy and McNutt 20 years of age. McNutt has
secured job of decorating in Leavenwor5h and
will open a shop there.
Winner will go back to the penitentiary as
general manager of the Burr cOmpany's shoe
business there, that company having the con-
yict labor of the Lansing prison.
The Winner and McNutt case is probably the
most famous in the history of Kansas. Early in
1873 Winner and young McNutt came to Wichita
and started paintshOp. Soon after McNutt
insured his life in favor of Winner for 5000.
One night few months after the young men
settled in Wichita some one. discovered that
their shop was on fire. The people of the town
turned out and eXtinguiShed the fire. but McNutt
was missing.
The partly burned body of a man was found in
the ruins of the building. Winner declared that
it was McNutt, but the people of Wichita did
not believe him. The body was recognized as
that of a tramp known as Texas"
The sudden departure of McNutt and the fact
that his life insurance was. in favor of Winner
though McNutt was married and the father of
child, excited so much suspicion that Winner
was arrested the next day. A few days later
,McNutt was captured in the woods in NewtOwn
county, Mo-
They were tried for murder The evidence
was so clear that they were convicted and SEN
fenced by Judge w. P. Campbell, now depart
ment commander of Kansas. Under the law
they went to the penitentiary for life.-Wichita
Eagle.