The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-06
CONVICTS CELEBRATE.
The Prisoners at Kansas Peni-
Tertiary Have a Good Time.
Prisoners Give a Programme of
Song, Dance and BurIesque.
Warden Lynch Allows Them One Day
of Talking, Laughing and Anuse-
ment - Outside Speakers
There Too.

The good time which Warden Lynch
of the Kansas state penitentiary ex-
-pected to give the convicts on the
Fourth OF July by allowing them the
freedom of the big penitentiary yard
for a few hours had to be given up
The yard in which the conVicts were to
be allowed to roam around and talk and
exercise is the Enclosure which contains
the building of the prison and is sur
rounded by high stone walls. TO en-
able the men and women who are SUD
7jected to such close confinement the
year round to have something of a good
time, Warden Lynch intended to give
them the liberty of the yard awhile on
Saturday, the birthday of American
freedom. But as two prisoners escaped,
one Friday afternoon and one during
Friday night, Mr.. Lynch had to send
so many of his guards after the eS-
capped that he deemed it inadvisable to
make the Experiment As it was a new
venture he wished to have it done safe
~ and thought it not wise to try 1t
with diminished number of guards
The escaped men were Charles Levin,
white man, who walked away from
his work Friday afternoon, and Green
Nichols, a negro, who cut a hole
through the roof of the dry house, in
which he was working, and dropped
over the wall Friday night. Nichols
was in from LeaVenWOrth county for
mausIaughter under a sentence of q
years. Levin was from Sumner cOun-
ty for larceny and had only a few
pointed in getting the freedom of the
yard the cOnvicts had a good time at
the exercises in the chapel, which last
ed from 10 till 1. All the prisoners
were in the chapel to hear a programme
of amusement which Warden Lynch
had gotten up for them. There were
several outside speakers, but most of
the programme was enacted by per
formers from among the cOnVictS them
selves. The inhibitiOns in regard to
talking and laughing were removed and
the immense audience of about 500 con-
victs laughed at the jokes of the per
formers and applauded humorous sal
lies heartily and uproariously.
The entertainment was a continuous
performance and there was no going
out between acts. There were no high
hats to Obstruct the view and the cry
ing of Opera glasses" and chewing
gum and candies by pale-faced youths
was not heard. One could hardly be
1feve that in such a good humOred au-
dience there were murderers, horse
thieves and embeZzlers. The sternest
old murderer in the hall who is IN
dergoing a life sentence relaxed his
laughter and Emmett Dalton was one
of the most pleased spectators in the
lot J. R. COlean, who wrecked the
State bank of Fort Scott. had good
seat near the front and enjoyed himself
as if he had paid for seat in a thea
ter.
Ben Henderson was one of the out
side speakers who addressed the con-
victs. His speech was partly humOr-
Gus and pleased the prisoners. He said
he was sorry Warden Lynch had an
nounced his coming, as the prisoners
no sooner heard of it than two of them
made a break for liberty.
Bob Maloney gave some Irish songs
and jig dancing, a quartette of four fe-
male prisoners sang The Bell OF the
BalI'' and Happy Jack Harris, con-
vict, entertained awhile with mono
1Ogues and songs.
One of Harris jokes which pleased
the prisoners was on a youthful guard
whom he named Harris was conduct
ing a dialogue with the leader of the
convict choir.
Say. do you know what gratitude
is2' he said.
mo, I don't know what gratitude is.
What is it2"
well, I was going along the other
day with -- (the young guard), and
we found a COW and a calf and the
calf was stuck in the mud. Well, the
guard went into the mud and took the
calf OUT
well, what then?''
1.-The COW licked the guards hand
''And that was gratitude, was it?"
mo, the COW thought she had
twins"
The Kansas state penitentiary min
strels did the rest of the programme
and kept the cOnvicts in continued
state of good humor. Ten negro con-
victs composed the minstrels, ore of
whom, Campbell, is said to be grad
uate of Kansas university.
Campbell and his partner. Shelly,
sang The Pullman POrters." They
sang it eXcellently and got a loud en-
core. but Warden Lynch came for
ward and said. wen drink a little
lemonade now, as it is long time be
tween drinks
Convict walters then brought in
buc6etsful of lemonade and the entire
audience, visitors and prisoners, were
served with all they could drink of ex-
cellent lemonade The prisoners
drank out of huge tin cups, while the
visitors were served in glasses After
the lemonade the performance of the
MINISTRIES went on.
The minstrels catered in their jokes
to the administration over them. One
said: Say, Mr.. Johnsing, as I was go
ing down street the other day in front
of a butcher shop saw a lot of hogs
and shOats and things hanging out.
Pretty soon man came along and
saw one of these half hogs hanging
there, and he just picked it up and
walked off with it. Now, I knOwed
that man was a Republican,.
How did you know he was a Re
Cause if he'd been a Democrat
he'd have taken a whole hog"
publican2'
The performance closed with singing,