The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-24
TALK ABOUT MRS. THORPE
And a Great Many Other Subjects by
City Council Committee.

| liz POOAAS O0AldAiS SO1AAAAAIACC VI liz
| city council. composed of CounciImen
| Stevens, Burgess and Roundtree, with
| City Engineer Barnes and City AttOr-
! ney Bird, were on a tour of inspection
at the city Jail yesterday afternoon in
| answer to request from the board of
police commissioners for some improve
mentS and reforms.
| President Billiard, Secretary Hender-
son and Commissioner Keith were wait
| ing for the committee with Chief Steele
near at hand. They all looked happy,
and as if they thought the councilnsen
were the incest fellows in the world. H.
| Councilman Stevens left his work at
! the Santa Fe shops to perform his duty
| as servant of the city and lost SIPS,
cents and so he did not lose the entire
S125 for the half day he was away from
| his work.
The police commissioners have ex-
| tensive ideas, but a new board always
! does They soon find out that the city
| Jail is an ill-smelling, poorly arranged
| place, with inadequate provisions for
| taking care of prisoners, and the board
| always asks the council for relief. The
! city fathers sometimes go to the Jail,
| but more often the matter is referred TO
a committee and forgotten. Then the
board gives up hope and adapts itself to
| circumstances.
The truth is, that some reforms are
| demanded at the city Jail and some
in line with recommendations of boards
of police commissioners.
Inc present DOAcd asks tnaI the cell
room be raised another story, thus af-
fording two or three rooms in the sec
Ond story which will be used for a wo-
mans ward and work room, and also
give facilities which will enable the au-
thor1ties to keep the young inmates and
older criminals separate
Yesterday Councilman Stevens sat
on table with green cover chewing
gum and gazing ref1ectively around the
dingy commissioners room.
This place would be all right for a
he, but for a metropolis like Topeka il
is no good
Yes, that is true said City Attorney
Bird, and that stone yard ought to be
moved over to the north side of the
grounds"
1--WE ordered that done once" said
Councilman Burgess, land the plans
We're all drawn, but 1 guess they got
lost. What became of them, Barnes?"
City Engineer Barnes said that he
had never seen them.
Councilman Burgess was sitting by
the side of a round table that had been
confiscated in some poker room. His
eye caught the little slot in the center,
the kitty.
Look here, boys said he '"This is
where we get paid off,
1T is strange that a man as old as
you. would know what that is for said
Chief Steele.
The party laughed and Col. Burgess
said that he had not forgotten all he
learned when he was young.
d
City Attorney Bird, trying to look Sc
we're. These improvements should be
made, and there should be a room here
for Mrs. Thorpe. The boys and women
should be compelled to prepare the food
for prisoners. Then the clothing sent
in could be overhauled by the women
prisoners. AS it is now, they are not
compelled to- work, and they lie around
in idleness, and would just as lief be
here as not. They would not be so anx-
ious to come back if they had to work"
work." suggested Commissioner Hen
derson. 'She can handle the kind of
women that gets in here better than
anyone in the world
You should have seen the poor, rag
ged people who came to u.s. said Com
missioner Keith.
'She does more work than any police
man on the force said City Attorney
Bird, land 1 say now that the COM
missioners ought to raise her salary
from $40 to $50 a month"
Then the whole party began to say
nice things about Mrs. Thorpe until
some one suggested that there was
business ahead. The inspection of the
building was then commenced, and the
members of the committee talked to two
small runaway boys, locked up with col
cred men, in the main corridor and
found that they had good homes and
respectable parents in Indianapolis
Sam Radges Joined the crowd and told
the committee that the prisoners should
be worked on the streets He said they
should wear white duck uniforms, trim
med in black This is the uniform OF
the New York street cleaning force.
The co1lncilmen stayed for police
court and watched the operation of the
chicken ordinance. One woman and
three men were tried for allowing their
chickens to run at large. One man was
convicted because he did not deny that
his chickens had been out. Councilman
Stevens thought of interfering on be-
half of the woman, who is one of his
constituents, but it was not necessary.
The committee did not agree upon a
report but one will probably be ready
for the next council meeting.
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