The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-11
PRISONERS MEETING.
Tramps Refuse to Crack Rock at
the City Jail.
THIRTEEN MEN GO ON STRIKE.
Alleging as a Cause That One or Their
Number Has Been Locked Up On
Bread and Water.

Bread and W alter.
There were thirteen men on the city
rockpiIe this morning and as might have
been expected, something unlucky hap
pened. The thirteen men laid down
their hammers and refused to work. The
police do not admit that the fact that the
prisoner who made the trouble was the
unlucky thirteenth, had anything 70 do
with the strike His name as given to
the police is Ed West, and he was locked
up last night about IL o'clock on the
charge of drunkenness. He was arrested
az the Union Pacific depot in North To-
peka by Officers Owen and Parker. He
says he Is a painter out of work and that
his home is in northwestern Texas. He
has been in Topeka, the police say, dur
ing the past six weeks. When he was
arraigned this morning he pleaded not
guilty and begged to be allowed to get
out of town, which is generally the re-
quest of tramps. He had an oily tongue.
Judge Ensminger fined him So, while the
other prisoners were all given SO except
one " no was fined 800. When E. Foote,
who has charge of the stonepile, marshal
ed his forces and distributed hammers,
West took his and place was prepared
for him in one corner. He sat down and
idly pounded on the floor. Foote ordered
him to work but he paid no attention
After commanding him several times to
work FoOte blew his whistle and Jailer
Ed Woodruff hustled West into cell
where he was locked up on a diet of
bread and water.
The men worked on a short time but
when Foote stepped out few seconds
the sound of the hammers ceased. John
Burns who was arrested yesterday and
attempted to escape from Officer Sum-
mers encouraged the workers to strike.
Burns was fined $50 this morning and
he seemed very much dissatisfied be-
cause he was fined at all. When Foote
returned no one was at work and he said,
"Aeu | want to hear those hammers
rafting" They didn't rattle, however,
and the workers sat sullenly in their
places Burns told Foote they would
not go to work unless West was let out
No show of acceding to such demand
was made and again the whistle of
Watchman Foote sounded All the men
but two marched into the prison and
were locked up.
The two men who did not go were Lee
Curtis and Lew Webb, arrested in North
Topeka last week. They hesitated and
held conference. The gang will be
This seemed to settle enc matter, and
Webb and Curtis marched in to be put
on short rations with the other refractory
strikers. They both said that they had
nothing to do with the trouble and it was
only through fear of the gang" that
they joined the opposing forces
The sympathetic strikers are nearly all
traIhps arrested for being drunk
The names and fines of the rock pile
gang are as follows: Ed West. s.; John
Burns, $50; John Murphy, 50; John
O'Brien, So; JAS Smith, SO; Tom Car
roll, s.; James OBrien, So; Chas- Will
iams, SO; A. RedmOnd,-$1 James VIII
liams. so.
Some of the men had worked out
nearly their entire fine.
This is the second mutiny among the
prisoners at the city jail within the past
six weeks. There must be something
wrong which the police board should in
vestigate.