Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-30
WILL SOON BE FREE
Prospective Release Of Two Kansas MUIR
dsrers.
They Have Been in Prison for Twenty
Years-Many Efforts to Secure
Their Pardon.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Justice Horton administered the oath Of
ONCE to the new executive the retiring gov
ernor. Lyman U. Humphrey, exercised his
omcisl prerogative for the last time and to
this day only the intimate associates of the
governor know what he did as the last act
OF his administration. While the populist
throngs were surging about the state house,
anxious to see ushered in the first peoples
party government on EARTH" Gov. Hum
phrey wrote his name on two pieces Of pa
per, which will, on June 10, give Arthur
Winner and J. A. McNutt freedom and lib
crate them from prison cells in the Kansas
state penitentiary.
The story of the atrocious crime commit
ted by Winner and McNutt is familiar to
every old resident of Kansas. In 1873 these
men. aged respectively nineteen and twenty
nve years. went to Wichita and started q
paint shop. McNutt carried a policy Of
5000 on his life. The two plotted to swindle
the insurance company. They sent to Kan
sas City for q painter named w. w. Sewer
man who was always drunk. If he could
get hold Of intoxicants. On Christmas eve
1878, Solver was given all the whisky he
could drink and before morning was laid
away in the paint shop unconscious. While
In that condition he was murdered. His
kerosene and set on fire. When 1t had
burned beyond recognition the building was
fred.
The plot was deep laid, and but for O wo-
man the mystery would probably remain
unsolved. The plan was for McNutt to dis
appear and for Winner to inf1ict some injury
upon himself and claim that a strange man
had murdered his partner and then attempt
Cd to murder him. When the old Wichita
volunteer fire department reached the scene
or the fire. Winner was found lying at the
foot Of the stairs with his head and side
badly gashcd.' He had no sooner been
hauled away than the spectators were horri-
fed to see a CHASTITY corpse. burning and
frying in the heat, go rolling down with the
hoor OF the building into the cellar below.
The officials at once commenced to inves-
tigate the cause of the murder. The facts
came out In peculiar way. McNutt's wife,
pretty. delicate little woman, lived in
Kansas City. She had been informed Of the
plot by her husband. and, on the morning
after the murder. a letter was found from
her imploring him not to commit the crime
In that letter were these words. which led
to the conviction of her husband and his
accomplice: IF you carry that on we will
all be ruined. Before will have the name
OF stealing and numbering for wealth will
beg on hands and knees" In that letter
Mrs. McNutt said she had only one dime
left In the world and that she sent 1t as a
Christmas present to her husband with her
blessing.
This letter was sufficient evidence to con-
Wet Winner and McNutt, and they were &C.
cordingly sentenced to hard labor in the
penitentiary for life. 1t was. in fact,
death sentence. but as the statutes make 1t
the duty Of the governor to name the day
Tor the execution. and as no Kansas execu-
tive has ever yet ordered a man hung such
sentences run during criminals natural
life. unless pardoned. The sentences of
Winner and McNutt were committed to
twenty-five years. which will. counting out
time for good behavior, let them out June
10 next.
powerful friends at work in their behalf and
every governor has been importuned to
show them executive clemency. Winners
brother was for many years one of the
wealthiest citizens Of Kansas City, Mo-. and
his father was a rich and respected citizen.
These two worked constantly to secure the
liberty Of the two men. At one time.
during Gov Clicks OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
years ago-Winner and McNutt came near
being pardoned. A very thorough case had
been made and the opportunities for execu-
tive clemency had been favorably enter
tanned. At last. as the story runs. 1t was
settled The governor promised winners
old father that his sons pardon would be
placed in his hands that day. The old man
waited patiently in the reception room of
the executive department. his cup OF Joy
full to Overlooking A prominent politician
from Atchison. the governors home stepped
into the executive chamber. The governor
his pen in the ink. pointed out the vacant
line for his signature and set his pen upon
1t. Only a scratch Of steel across the piece
OF papermthat was to be the liberating
stroke. The tiny. liquid-llled instrument
started on its fateful Journey across the pa
per, The first initial was made-the sec
ond-the pen sputtered-
What are YOU doing, governor" said the
man who had Just stepped in.
The governor raised his pen, ard. looking
up, replied: Il am signing McNutt and Win
ners pardon"
Don't do It." quickly replied the man;
for governor a second time, remember"
The pen dropped from Clicks hand. The
thing was settled The unfinished signature
remained as It was, and the father was put
off with some excuse Of delay. Thus It was
with every governor until Gov Humphrey
acted on the last day Of his term Of office
The letters sent to him during the last year
OF his term came from the most influential
men in Kansas and Missouri. Thirty MEM
bers Of the Kansas state senate signed a
petition for the pardon: Judges, United
states senators. ministers. all united in
asking clemency. They were submitted to
the state board Of pardons. but the men,
beers. after hearing all that could be said in
favor OF the release Of the convicts, decided
that the crime was so heinous that the ends
Of Justice would not be subserved by re-
leasing them, and reported on the applca-
ton unfavorably. This was on the last day
of January. 1892. But Gov. Humphrey had
Tic IiSHl Tie law, 10 overdue the
board. and he did so. believing that the men
had been sufficiently punished.
The records at the prison show these men
to be perfect in department and conduct
During the long confinement not a single
demerit mark has been made against either
Of them. McNutt Is employed In the paint
shop and Is the leader Of the prison choir
Winner Is bookkeeper for the shoe con-
tractors, who have promised him a position
after he 10 liberated. In fact. he Is to have
the same position as a free man that he
holds now as q convict. McNutt will 60 to
Nova Scotia. where his old mother still
lives. She Is poor, and McNutt, prisoner
though ne Is. has been Of great assistance
to her in her old age, working extra time
and sending her every cent Of his earnings
He is small in stature. with a yellow skin
Sorrow Is marked deeply in his face, and his
figure Is bent
It il conceded that Winner Is the best-edu-
Gated man in the prison. He Is a tall, fine
looking man, with q bald head, with only a
fringe of black curly hair. For years his
haunting horror has been that re will lose
his mind, but now that his release is near
at hand he Is greatly changed. Since enter
ing the prison the confinement of these men
has been OF the closest character. Illus
trating this, the warden tells this story:
"Winner went into the residence portion of
wardens daughter for a pair Of shoes.
After he had finished the task. by the per-
mission Of the warden's wife, he stepped to
the window and looked out. Turning he
said:
This Is the first time in nineteen years
have seen outside these prison walls; the
first time in nineteen wears that have seen