The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-07
IT IS PAYING.
State Sideshow Proving to Be
Good Thing.
Collections at Penitentiary
$72.2O in One Day.
NO ACCOUNTING MADE.
State Auditor Makes No Re-
quirement About Fund.
Warden Jewett Uses 1t For
Pianos and Bibles.

Kansas has a new mint on a limited
scale in the Lansing penitentiary. War
den Jewett's visitors fee collections are
panning out big.
The gate receipts on a single day last
week amounted to $72.20. This was an
unusually big days business. An Odd
Fellows excursion ran into Lansing and
put a bunch of 722 people through the
penitentiary sightseeing.
The next day party of q went
through. The gateman was out of tickets
owing to the rush Of the previous day.
But the bell-wether of the flock planked
down $2.75 in cold cash as they came
out He said his flock had had its money $
worth.
Collecting an admission fee from
visitors to the state penitentiary at
Lansing is one thing. Disposition of the
proceeds is another.
Warden Jewett has been collecting the
fee at the penitentiary door for several
months Now he has cause for some
little worriment as to the accounting.
1t is public money. Warden Jewett
keeps it in private account There is
no record in the monthly accounts filed
with the state auditor to show that
there is such thing as visitors fee
charged at the Kansas penitentiary.
put to the commendabIe use of purchas-
ing piano for the chapel and Bibles for
the prisoners. This is Warden JeWett's
statement of what has been done with
the proceeds of the exactions from the
pocketbooks of visitors who take a look
at Kansas dime museum of crime and
criminals.
Warden Jewett put this tax on pocket
books, it has just leaked out. to put a
stop to a land-office business being done
by the Kansas City-Leavenworth cleo
trio road The trolley that runs by the
penitentiary door is Warden JeWett's
bugaboo. He is suing them for rent for
using part of the penitentiary grounds
for right of way.
Before his relations with the road
reached this acute stage the visitors fee
was put on The road was advertising
a visit to the penitentiary as an attrac-
ton to get passengers 1t is said they
were making a mint of money out of
this kind of traffic and the state was
putting up for the time of the guards
occupied in showing around the punches
of visitors that the electric road landed
there.
Auditor Cole admitted today that the
collection of this fee was irregular, but
said he would not demand an account
ing of the collections unless complaint
was made to him.
1.-THE visitors fees collected are I'M
doubtedly public money. said Mr.
Cole, in answer to questions. There
are no records here to show the
amounts collected No item appears in
the accounts submitted monthly to
show that the custom of taking such
fees is being carried out"
isn't the transaction, then. irreg-
ular2" was asked
ut may be Irregular" replied Auditor
Cole but 1 do not see that there is
anything wrong in it. While it is pub
lie money, I do not know that 1 shall
ask for an accounting unless complaint
is made. The electric road was adver-
Using the penitsntiary as an attraction
on their route, and making a mint of
money At the same time the state of
Kansas was paying guards salaries to
entertain the patrons of the electric
road. Penitentiaries in other states
charge visitors fees. The usual charge
is 25 cents. too
Warden Jewett was seen on recent
visit to the capital and asked how
much money the state was making out