The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-01
e51sasry IsNsna e6ouT/e &c.

The charge is also made that the sale
or the island to the state was a corr
rupt political deal. engineered by a
party of LeavenwOrth politicians, who
"unloaded" something which they did
not own at an exorbitant price.
1t is further claimed that the island
IS in the jurisdiction of the state oil
Staiger island has been in its present
condition and size for upwards of 20
years. Prior to that time its history
seems to be considerably in doubt,
though as far back as ANYBODY can.
remember there was an island there
ana some claim two islands, one called
Staiger island and one Spar island
About 1890, as was determined by the
INVESTIGATION made by Attorney Gen
eral GODDARD, Vinton Stillings, the Klon-
dixie man, obtained a government patent
to the island set down on the govern
ment survey made in 1857 as "Staiger's
island" This island contained at that
time as shown by the charts 229 acres
and was close to the Missouri side of the
river. Stillings, however, contended that
the island had grown by accretions from
229 acres in 1857 to about 1000 acres in
$780, and that the whole 200 acres be-
longed to him.
There was another claimant to half
the island by the name of Abner White
ly, Missourian. and Whitely's theory
was decidedly ingenious. 1t seems that
Whitley owned a farm covering part of
ROAIl VI ldUu, around winch the Mis-
souri, river made big bend. prior to
1880 About 1880, Whitley claims that
the river cut across his farm, leaving
above water only the extreme point of
It, together with a small island which
was known as Spar island. Whitley
claims that the land which composed
his farm was washed across the new
channel, lodged against this unsubmerg-
ed point and Spar island filed up the
space between there and Staiger's island
na1 Ia,- tel,
tains according to various estimates
from 500 to 1000 acres. Whitley there
fore claimed that he owned part of the
new Staiger's island.
The change in the course of the Mis-
souri, river had apparently shifted Stat
gers island from Missouri to Kansas
Prior to 1880. it lay close to the Mis-
souri, bank, but since then it is much
closer to the Kansas bank. The old
channel OF the river, west of the island
seemed to have filed up with sand. and
was known as Kansas slough" stat
gers island seemed to be rapidly becom-
Ing part of the Kansas mainland But
the late report indicates that the river
Is now trying to get back into its old
channel through Kansas slough"
Sullings and Whitley had lawsuit in
q MisSOur court over their claims to
the island. and it was settled by a com
promise. each taking a portion of the
island.
This was the condition when the state
prison authorities recommended to the
state that Staiger's island be purchased
70 that the state would have the right
Of mining the coal which lay under it,
The penitentiary mines had already
been pushed out under the Missouri
river for some distance. 1t was decid-
ed that If the state could get a good
title to the island from somebody, that
Il would be a good thing to buy it, To
Investigate the question of title. Attor-
Dey General GODDARD assigned mis- as
Eistant, Clad Hamilton. to the work.
and for a month Mr.. Hamilton worked
constantly collecting evidence He de-
termined that Mr.. Stillings and MI
Whitley could give good title. He did
not determine positively whether the
island is in Kansas or Missouri. but in
timated that II was in Missouri. he
said on this point in the report:
LAS to all questions of fact concerning
the advisability Of purchasing the above
land, ] shall leave them for the deter
mination of the board of directors OF
POUR institution. as have only endeav-