The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-10
Miss Morrison Behind the Bars
at Lansing.
The Big Gates Closed Upon Her
at Twilight.
INCIDENTS OF TRIP.
A Most Trying Journey From Ell
Dorado to New Home.
In Charge of Her Brother and
Was Brave Unto the Last.

Leavenworth. July 1O.-Last night at
shutdown the prison gates swung open
to admit Jessie Morrison.
Sheriff Turner. of Butler county. left
FL Dorado Tuesday morning at
o'clock for the prison. He had three
prisoners-Mfss Morrison and two
horsethieves. Hayward Morrison, the
favorite brother of Jessie, who has
spent all his money for her and stood
by her loyalty. wanted to come along.
so the sheriff deputized him and put
him in charge of his sister. The sheriff
looked after the horsethieves.
A tremendous crowd of people had
gathered at the Ell Dorado depot to get
a last glimpse OF Miss Morrison on her
way to prison, but most of them were
disappointed. The sheriff had allowed
Jessie to go home and eat breakfast
with her parents, and he went there for
her and took her to the freight depot,
a half mile distant from the passenger
depot. This was unknown to the crowd
until the train arrived, and then 1t was
too late for all of them to get to the
other depot. Miss Morrison was glad
of it, too.
There may have been some in it who
really wanted to give m words of SYM
pathy," said she, but the most Of
them had no sympathy in their bones
They merely wanted to get a glance at
me as I started on my humiliating
journey and wish me, well-humilia-
tion.''
All along the road from El Dorado
to Lansing, Miss Morrison was the
center OF attraction.
Jessie was not treated like q prisoner.
At Holiday, while spending a couple OF
hours WOODS
and gathered some wild flowers, and
went around just as she pleased At
that place she witnessed the hauling OF
the body of a drowned man out of the
Kaw.
'fPoor man. said she. HE may be
happier now than some of us, though"
In commenting upon her freedom. she
said: Sheriff Turner would have been
perfectly safe to let me N axe this trip
alone. I would have come just as
straight as I could. I'll not be long
here"
How long?" was asked.
"Oh, about thirty days. she replied
MY appeal viii be perfected by that
time and the supreme court will let me
out on bond"
Enough things happened to the train
on the Leavenworth branch to make
Jessie uneasy If she were superstitious.
In the first place, the train went off
from Holiday without the messenger,
and after it had got away mile or
so ndC 10 Ddck up ana get nlrl- Next
it ran over a dog At Jaeger an old
farmer got off and left his coat. AS
the train started to move he yelled to
the conductor to throw the coat off.
The conductor grabbed a coat and
tossed it off. About ten miles further
on w. W. Hopper. the Leavenworth
law partner of John H Atwood, dis
covered that the conductor had thrown
off his coat instead of the farmers. 1t
had about $50 in cash and a dozen or
more railroad annual passes in it,
When Miss AIorrison's eyes fell on the
dark prison walls as the train pulled
into Lansing she shuddered and grew
white as ghost As she arose to leave
the car. tears began to trickle down
her cheeks. Her brother tried to keep
her courage up. but in vain. She and
her luggage, consisting of a grip and q
big telescope were loaded into the
prison wagon and taken to the front