The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-18
WINNER IN WICHITA
HERO o. FAMOUS MURDER TRIAL
In SCENE OF HIS CRIME.
He Was Bewildered When He rot OFF
the Train and Like Rip van Win
kle lie Didn't Know Which
Way to Turn - He Went
With Reporter to the
Very Spot Where the
Murder Vas Com
mitted Twenty
Years ago.


| and he had to ascertain his bearings
from colored porter for one of the ho-
tells
He walked along Douglas avenue look
| ing IN through the doors of every building
! and reading every sign with an apparent
effort to see some face he knew or some
name connected with the early history of
| Wichita.
| This man was Arthur WINNER one of
the heroes of the greatest murder trial
ever tried in Kansas.
Like Rip Van Wrinkle be slept twenty
years, or at least he was as far removed
from the actual affairs of the world for
that length of time as if he had been
asleep-he was inside the wallis of the Kan
sss penitentisry. He, with McNutt, was
sent up to the penitentiary from this
county in 1874 for life, but were pardoned
by Governor Humphrey before he
left Office, and were released
early in the summer OF this year. The
crime for which they were sent up was
murder and arson. Everybody has heard
the details OF that crime, for they have
been frequently related in the EAGLE.
Yesterday was the first time he was in
Wichita since he was taken away in
CHAINS twenty years ago. Being behind
penltentlary walls ever since he lost all
conception of progress and remembered
Wichita as it was when he left 1t, only; IA
little hamlet of shanLies. He came here
yesterday morning with that picture in
his mind, aud that Is the reason he was
bewildered when he stood at the foot of
Douglas avenue and looked through II
mile of brick and stone houses, some of
I y. L. -
land mark could be fond. Everything
had changed. He went to the Office of
Senator Bentley. to whom he presented
ile pair of tan shoes, made by his own
hands, as token of his appreciation of
Mr.. Bentley's efforts for his release. He Is
now travelling for Burt d Co, and is
selling the shoes that are MAIDS in
the penlteDtiary, IN which depart
ment he served twenty years as
prisoner. When he WAS released he WIS
employed by the same company he worked
for as prisoner and he is getting a good
salary.
Winner is only about forty, being
mere boy when ne was convicted, but he
looks much older on account of his long
confinement. Although Wichita was the
scene Of his crime he was glad TO get back
TO it and felt quite at home after fully
realizing thai it was metropolis and not
a hamlet
In answer TO questions the following in
formation was CLEANED:
"Well, through Senator Bentley's efforts
McNutG and myself were liberated from
the penitentiary on the 10Th day of last
June, having been confined at that place
for twenty years and ten days by actual
time and by counting our credit for good
behavior according to penitentiary time,
twenty-five years.
To-day is my first visit to Wichita since
I laft in cd Inv
sey and his son Tence, who was. acting as
deputy shsritf.
"Lookiug at it in one way it seems like
an age, but / can hardly realize that it has
been so long. Do you know that ] have
Wichita so firmly implanted in my mind
that l can call almost every firm doing
business here at that time and can find
few old land marks here vet. The place
must have grown like magic and it seems
hardly possible that a city of such dimen-
sions could have sprung up, as iG were, in
the night time.
"Of course we were allowed the papers to
read and / often tried to picture what
Wichita would look like, but L was not
prepared to see such changes"
Upon being asked if he would not enjoy
n walk on the streets and poiut out some of
the buildings wnich looked natural he CON
sented to accompany the senator and the
reporter
"You asked what was doing for a
living since being liberated. Well, when
| was placed in prison | was assigned, in
short time, to the boot and shoe depart
ment, while McNutt was placed in the
painting department. j soou became in
Ierested in INV work and gained the good
favor of the foreman that | made rapid
advancement and in short time became
foreman of the works. Mr.. Burr, who has
the contract for the shoe output, had
learned 10 depend upon me and when tbs
glad news of our liberty was brought to
the peniJentlary last January, he offered
me an opportunity TO remaiu in his em-
ploy. So at present I am engaged in rep
reSeuting their goods. | guess you woald
call me a drummer, bus / am not so noisy
as many of my brethren upon the road"
BY this time Maine and Dou slss avenue
had been reached and Winner WAS asked
to point out The firms doing business az
the corners IN his day, which ne did as
follows:
Where the State National bank is was
the grocery store of TrickeT Brothers
How we'll | remember. as looked ont OF
the fret window sonth of the door leading
to Neiderlahder' Office, o. the old sign
printed on the entire east side OF the bniId-
lug. Oar firm had not painted that sign
and we delighted 10 criticize II. You re-
member We Were confined IN the rooms OF
taAt building at that time, Sedgwiek
county Bok HAVING Il AL. l Il TIE moor
which was our prison was the Wichita
Savings bank, while where the CIrizeus'
bank now stands was an old frame bui.d-
ing ia which was DagneF's saloon, tha
second store being gambling house where /
a game called keno" was played nightly. |
l was frequently IN those rooms before |
the trouble occurred which has cost me 50
much On the corner where the Rock !
Island ticket Office is located was the New |
York dry goods store OF ". hohn & Co, |
l remem her 50 we'll the old dry goods store
where the Boston store j now located. /
believe the proprietor OF that store had one /
OF the worst names 70 paint upon SiSn | !
ever SAW. 1t Was A-a-ra-t-of-s-k-y. | ,
those stairs was located the EAGLE Office. /
while TO the left was OLD Eagle Ralt. l. /
was the cours room at that time and Ia
that room McNats and myself were sen
Jeuced o ke hung by Judge Campbell |
should Ike TO meet the judge and also !
lawyers S.u>s and Stanley. On, how black I
they pictured Us.
Going north on Main street. Mr.. Win
neF seemed lost ia thought, aad was kept
busy trying TO fiad familiar object bHt
II ne found any nothing WAS said uDtsi the
corner of Main and First street was
Ieached.
'.Tbere." said he. pointing to the county
building, was where | suffered the tor
tErxs Of nv tine before the coroner, and /
also before udce JewetJ who was justice
OF the peace DF. OweGs was the coroner
at the time How | can call lE - mind how
NV hopes of liberty We're dashed In that
building by the receipt OF the telegram
from Bill Smith saying that McNutt had /
been captured IN Clay county. Nc. Be 4
fore the receipt Of that telegram l con /
hdentialiy expected II be set ~ liberty"
Crossing the street just north OF the |
Morse building Mr.. Winner stood lost 10 !
thought and finally said:
Here Is where the fire occurred. oh, 4