Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1902-11-15
KANSAS PRISON REPORT.
Warden Jewett Gives statistics-Fa-
vors Civil Service for Employees
Profits of Irvine Plant.

lation of the Kansas penitentiary al
Lansing is 1859, according to the
biennial report of the board of man
ayers, just submitted to Gov. Stan
ley. Of this number 1,017 are Ameri.
can-born and 70 foreign-born. Kan.
sas leads all other states, III Of its
native-born being prisoners.
OF the total population 220 were
farmers before their conviction, IFS
laborers. All told 104 different &C.
equations are represented. There are
six preachers in prison. At present
there are no bankers or newspaper
men serving time. Two job printers
however, are in custody.
There are 766 white males, 10 white
females, 275 negro men, "a negro
women, Indians and 1 Mexican
The average age of the prisoners is
20 years. The youngest is IA years
old and the oldest rs. Sixty-eight
are % years old. This is the largest
number for one particular year. The
number of chang" men aggregates
IS, while there are 3S life prisoners,
2 50-year prisoners, 1 4O-year, Is rs,
year, II 21-year and II 2O-year pris-
oners. The crimes for which they
were convicted follows: Adultery,
8; arson, 6; assault to kill, rob OF
rape, rs; attempt to commit suicide,
1; bigamy, A; burglary, 2O7; embez,
element, 6; forgery, "a; grand lar
ceny, 300; highway robbery, o; horse
stealing, 16; larceny, 81; manslaugh-
ter, 60; murder, all degrees, 1853; OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses,
IA; perjury, 3; pickpockets, z; rape,
32; robbery, different degrees, "a;
seduction, 9.
OF the habits of the convicts APO
were temperate, 573 were intemper-
ate and 81 moderate. Eighty-nine
have served more than one term in
prison.
Eight counties in the state have
no prisoners in the penitentiary.
They are Cheyenne, Decatur, Finney,
Gray, Kiowa, Rawlins, Sheridan and
Stafford. Wyandotte leads the list
with 81 and Shawnee comes second
with so. Oklahoma has 2S4.
The average cost per day for feed
ing the prisoners was II cents each,
or trifie less than cents meal.
Warden Jewett believes that the
Kansas penitentiary should be under
civil service rules and will urge the
Legislature to pass a la wproviding
for the same rules for that institu-
ton that the federal government
uses in the management of the feder-
al prisons.
In addition to keeping down the
price of trust-made binding Irvine to
the Kansas farmers. the prison bind
ing Irvine plant cleaned up $22,713 in
profits this year. 1t paid all of its run
ming expenses, paid back the state
treasurer the revolving fund, and
still has money left. And the indus
try is not run for profit, either. 1t
is run in order to keep the price OF
Irvine to the farmers down to a rea-
sonable figure. The plant sold 1885,
24O pounds this year. That is all 1T
could manufacture. 1t could have
sold twice that amount if it had had
the stock on hand.
Warden Jewett wants the parole
law amended so as to give the warden
and board of managers of the peni-
tertiary voice in the matter of pa
roles.
The state prison directors are anx.
ious that the next Legislature pur.
chase Staiger's island, near Leaven-
worth, in the Missouri river, near
Lansing, for the use of the state PEN
itentiary. 1t furnishes large area
of additional coal land and gives the
state a shore line to the Missouri
river, and also the right to place wells
for additional water supply. If it
be the policy of the state to continue
the mining of coal for state institu-
lions, the constant increased demand
in this respect makes it a necessary
requirement. 1t will also make val
liable farm; at least 300 to 400 acres
of it is suitable for cultivation.
The brick plant established at the
penitentiary last year has proven
oood thing for the state. Up to date
it has furnished $685., 900 brick to the
various state charitable and penal
institutions. This saved the state
buying that number from outside
parties. All of the brick used by the
state at its different institutions is
now furnished by the prison. The
new asylum at Parsons, now under
course of erection, will be built ex-
clusively of prison brick.
Chaplain j. D. McBrian has got
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