davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06

Perhaps the best known of the Kansas
long term convicts is Willie Sells. Sells
went TO prison boy OF II under a
death sentence. He has been there sew
enteen years. At least two strong and
concerted efforts have been made to Sc
cure his pardon. but the sentiment of the
community from which he was sent has
always been so strongly against official
ciemency that no governor has dared ex
tend it. There were SINE elements of
mystery about the Sells case that have
never been cleared up. He was convicted
of the murder OF his father, mother.
brother and sister in Neosho county on
March night in 1856. The evidence against
him was strong. but wholly circumstan-
tial. 1t failed entirely at one point; no
adequate motive for the crime was ever
shown. The Sells family lived on a farm
six miles northwest of Erie They were
people of above the average intelligence
and the entire family. Willie included.
stood high in the community. The father
was a school teacher, and the brother two
years older than Willie was in college.
Willie was a slight. pale. studious boy.
crime of which he was convicted On the
early morning of the night on which the
crime was committed he appeared at the
home of neighber. reused the family
and told a somewhat incoherent story
about men appearing at the Sells home
and hurting the family. Investigation
revealed the fact that one of the most
horrible crimes in the annals Of the state
had been committed. The fother and
mother, brother and sister were found
dead in their beds. literally hacked to
pieces by the assassins. The weapons
had been the butcher knife and Ratchet
belonging to Jacob Sells, the father. VIII
lie Sells underclothing was bedaubed
with blood A basin of bloody water
wherin the assassin had washed his hands
sat on the table. There were the
marks of bloody fingers on the chimney
of the kerosene lamp. Until daylight of
the morning on which the murder was
committed Willie slept at the house OF
the neighbor whom he had aroused. He
was arrested the same day, but never
showed the slightest emotion, and but
little interest in the proceedings which
sent him to the penitendary- On the
witness stand during the trial he tainted.
but 1t was hot July day, and the law
yers for the state had questioned him
mercilessly. Public sentiment was strong
ly against him, and his convictions was
almost a matter of course. although ne
was given the benefit of able legal coun-
sell Sells IS now in charge Of the phar-
macy at the prison. ell has been model
prisoner There is nothing in his face or
presence to indicate the criminal. He Is
still the quiet, studious, inoffensive ap-
pearing boy. His conversation is intelh-
gent, his English good. and his features
clear cut and keen. The writer had not
seen him since he tumbled from the wit
ness stand that hot July day in 1886. but
he has changed little. In crowd or men
he is the last one would select as GRIM
inal
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06

but a carnival of crime in either Kansas
or o klahoma would embarrass the land
lord.
The life Of prisoner is as uneventful
as summer day at Silver Lake. There
certainly could be no greater punishment
than its monotony entails. Still, men
thrive on it. The prisoners, almost with
out exception, put on flesh. Regular
hours, cleanliness and sanitation always
leave their mark. You hear good deal
of talk about the prison parlor. Espe-
cially do you read about il in novels hav-
ing to do with prison life. and il is well
laid on with white cosmetics in plays
wherein the hero is wrongfully deprived
of his liberty. But it isn't much in evil
dence at Lansing. The half dozen young
men who work with the writer a
morning newspaper exemplify the idea
much better. The prisoner at the Kan
sas penitentiary arises at o'clock in the
morning, and his first duty is to clean his
cell and put in in shipsshape. He goes to
breakfast at o'clock and then works 10
hours. BY o'clock in the evening he is
again locked in his cell for the night.
cises on Sunday afternoons and day Oft
on Christmas ano on the Fourth of July.
There is a prison school taught by the
chaplain on Sunday afternoons The
course of instruction is in ,-.e elementary
grades and permission to attend it is one
of the rewards Of good behavior Last
year there were about $50 pupils.
Prison rewards begin, Of course, with
the time off allowed for good behavior.
This Is figured up when the convict en-
tiers the prison and is entered up against
his sentence. Time is taken from him
for infraction of the rules but more time
than he has earned TO the date of the in
fraction can not be taken away Time is
allowed at the rate of three days per
month for the first year of the sentence.
During the second year six days per month
is allowed, and for each succeeding year
eight days per month are taken off. on
a stretch" Of ten years or more the
time allowance for good behavior is very
nearly one-fourth Of the court sentence
On a short term 1t is less. Another of
the prison rewards is tobacco. About the
average amount consumed by a chewer is
issued to those OF the men whose conduct
entities them to it The tobacco used at
the prison is manufactured by the con-
victs from the leaf and it is up to the
standard Of the brands retailed at the gro
Gerry and tobacco stores. There is no re-
striction on the quantity Of reading mat
ter allowed. There are 5000 volumes in
the prison library and books may be
drawn as frequently as desired. The con-
Wet may take and read as many daily
papers as he is able to pay for. On the
whole it is a reading population and dis
plays great familiarity with the doings of
the outside world. The state pays its con-
victs for work at the rate Of 3A cents
day. This amounts to approximately 81
month. which is held in trust by the pris-
on authorities. After the convict has
served a year of his time he is permitted
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06
A Study of PrsoD Life i7 the Kansas P@Dft@Dtary

where. on the way through the yard he
came and talked 10 the warden about
some defect In the straps which he want
ed 10 remedy John Dee" sent 20 prison
under that well known police court appen-
dage. wanted 10 talk TO the warden about
a parole John was black as the ace OF
spades and seemed rot more than Is years
old. Come into the Office any time
said the warden. and wei talk II over.
but don't come this afternoon; I'll be
busy"
Something like 20 Of the prisoners work
in the coal mine 40 feet under the surface
OF the ground. About I5e are employed Ia
the furniture factory. The furniture fac
tory is operated by Leavenworth parties
who contract for the prison labor. This
is the only contract institution now at the
penitentiary. They pay Sc cents day
for the labor. The Irvine plant requires
the services Of % or 80. and Is one OF the
most interesting features Of the yard
The experiments in brickmaking have
been successful and the brick plant viii
receive a good deal OF attention here
after. Shale for the brick Is brought u3
out OF the coal mine. The penitentiary
is really a community municipality
Practically everything used therein Is
made inside the prison yard Warden
levitt thinks the shoe shop shuld be
abandoned. He says shoes can be bought
cheaper than they can be made at the
prison. In addition to the utilities ard
features mentioned the prison has a web
equipped IRE department. printing office.
a greenhouse and barber shop. all run
and managed by convicts. Some new type
and better press would be an advantage
in the printing Office The officials and
employees shave at the barber shop. pay
ing . cents a month for the privilege.
Employees. for the most part. work twelve
hours a day. There amt much differ
ence." said one employe, between them
fellars that's in and US feliars that are
out" The cells at the Kansas peniten-
tiary are four by seven feet There is a
mattress on a slab set into the wall.
chair and the necessary toilet articles.
Some cells show the touch OF the artistic
hand and the longing for the beautiful;
others are bare as a board. One had pic
lures pasted on the walls, a shelf OF books
and a tiny mirror
Adjoining the quarters OF the women
there is a garden of old fashioned fiow-
ers smiling at its hopeless environment
In the center OF the prison yard Is
tiny park hedged in by trees Here the
invalids NOPE during their convalescence.
Flowers grow along the parking and the
greenhouse is hard by. Hospital faciii-
ties are excellent and the equipment is
first-cIass. The best tribute that could
be paid to the sanitation and cleanliness
OF the place. perhaps, lies in the fact that
In this typhoid and maiarial season there
were out Of a prison population OF nearly
100 only four cases IN the hospital on
Tuesday last Convicts keep in close touch
with the outside world. The statement at
tributed 10 Governor Bailey TO the effect
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06

TO draw and spend the money as he de-
sires Kansas pays in wages TO its con-
victs about ST.. 900 year.
Prison fare is not attractive to the man
who has dinej on pate de fol gras, what
ever that is. but it sustains. There is
no probability that the supper Of pris-
oner ever keeps him awake at night, for
it consists Of bread, syrup and weak tea
For breakfast there is coffee, bread and
butter Dinner is better meal. for there
is often beef, and in its absence always
potatoes. beans, cabbage or some other
vegetable The dinner bill is varied con-
siderabIy They were having tomatoes
Tuesday and it took about ten bushels to
supply the demand. The penitentiary
uses $50 loaves OF bread day in and day
out. and the allowance Of potatoes is 40
bushels a day. For dinner Tuesday, 1880
pounds of beef was boiled. although some
of it is likely to make its temperance
the next time hash is served for break
fast 1t costs about cents day per
capita TO feed the prison population On
Tuesday last the provision bill for the day
and this included hospital supplies. was
s1O.75. The men mess in gigantic hall
which seats the entire male prison popula-
ton At each plate is a tin cup, tin plate
and spoon. 1t is extremely probable that
the ethics of polite society as applied to
the etiquette of the state or violated
frequently at Lansing. spoon is
mighty poor weapon to attack on boiled
beef The women's dining room is more
inviting. The accommodations may not
be better, but it has that indefinable touch
that makes anywhere woman lives.
home.
The interest of Topeka people in the
penitentiary at Lansing is naturally CEN
tered in John Collins. But there is little
to tell of Collins, and absolutely moth
ing that looks new Collins looks well,
is hopeful Of ultimate pardon and is TAX
ing his medicine uncomplainingly. He
has never given the prison authorities any
trouble and his prison record Is without
a mark. He has taken on flesh since he
went.to Lansing and is broader Of Shout
der and larger of girth. Collins is the
clerk of cell house No. q His duties are
the convicts kept in his cell house. Con-
victs are shifted more or less from day
to day and Collins duties are much the
same as those of a hotel clerk. It was
reported recently that Collins had mas
tered three or four languages in the past
year, or two. He is Supplying Spanish
and keeps brushed UP on the French and
German he learned at the University, but
ma stered'' is not a good word in con-
nection with his linguistis attachments.
He is also leader of the prison band. The
band plays every Sunday at chapel. and
occasionally in the little park within the
prison walls. There are dozen or four
teen pieces.
IT hope to get out some day." said Col
Inns to the writer, but / have made no
plans for the future beyond the hope that
shall be pardoned."
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06

Jessie Morrison is employed in the sew
ing room at the prison. The vomen's
quarters are light. airy, clean and. in a
measure. comfortable. But the bitterness
OF it all Is still upon her. She talks
bravely. but there is in her face the marks
the chains that gall and the futile fut-
tering and beating against the bars Of
fate. That ner case will be taken 10 the
Supreme Court of the United States Is
practically certain, and that failing there
will be strenuous efforts to secure a par
don for her. Another noted prisoner al
the penitentiary is Clyde Mattox. Mattox
is the prison photographer, and is well
tlong to the halfway mark on a twelve
year sentence. Mattox has none OF the
physical characteristics of the cheap GRIM
inal. He is slight, of medium height,
dark and handsome in quiet sort OF way.
But he has the eye of q man to be
feared and the slender hands OF a man
who shoots quick and accurately. Mattox
has q considerable talent for drawing and
a number of his pen and pencil sketchei
adorn the walls OF the studio They are
typical Of the life he has lived and the
cuntry and peple he has Enwn. The
CIV pany, the flannel shirted rider, and
the trackless desert stretching away ~
the distance are his principal subjects.
His most potentious sketch is that Of
prairie schooner marooned in the sand.
one horse dying, the bones of the other
pi, ed barred by the coyotes lying near
Emmett Dalton is foreman Of the tailor
shop, where thirty or forty men are kept
at work Dalton is tall. There is the
stoop in his shoulders that typiies the
mountain men OF Kentucky and Tonnes
see. but his face is that OF the cowboy
stepped out OF one OF Frederick Rem
ington's pictures.
There Is three foot vein of interest
ing gossip about notorious prisoners at
Lansing, but no newspaper reporter is
permitted to tap it, Warden Jewett holds
that the well intentioned prisoner pays
his debt to society in the serving of his
sentence and that society should not be
given an opportunity TO discuss him per
sonally. He believes that well intentioned
prisoner desires to be forgotten and that
the bidders among the lot for sensation
al or spectacular notoriety should not be
given it for reasons that are obvious
And so every effort is made. once a man
enters prison, TO shield him from the gaze
of the public. Convicts are not pointed
out to visitors and are not subjected 10
interviews unless they, themselves. ex-
press a willingness 70 be interviewed. To
interview a prisoner one must have the
consent OF the prisoner. And one passes
through the prison yard meeting convicts
everywhere without a sign as TO their
identity. There is no red tape In the
prison yard, under Warden Jewett, az
least In every workshop and building
through which he conducted the writer
convicts approached and talked 10 him on
matters connected with their individual
cases One convict came to the peniten-
tiary without legs. The prison shops turn
out a pair for him and he walks every
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06

Imagine disciples Of Iraak Walton diS-
ging for fish. Jus, as well shoot ssh.
some would say. but the fish OF which va
now tell live in the woods. and have some
exceedingly queer habits
The morachung OF Bootan Is most Ia
nous IL Is never caught in rivers or
even IN standing ponds. though. as some
accounts say. its abiding places ALWAYS
communicate with water. so that It can
return 10 It's native element when so
disposed However that may be. they
are caught. not BY hook or net. kut b.
the spade: and they are worth some dig
ging-two feet long, perhaps. dispropor-
tiOnateiy thick. and always in pairs
Plenty OF other species are taken In the
same way during the hot months. and
plenty more divert themselves with a
stroll on dry land occasionally. SIR r.
Schornburgh saw negroes going cut te
FISH In the tunxles Of Guiana with nothing
but a basket or two. and they hronght
back as many as they could carry. Sir
John Bowring constantly observed tho
fish 20 ashore and lose themselves
among the trees upon The Siamese river
Meinam
We also have excellent testimony that
nsh can travel overland with considerable
speed II any one doubts the story u
viii not seem unreasonable on his part.
but the statement II vouched for by
reputable man in the employ OF the Brit
ish government He was Inspecting
leaking tank by Trineomaiee whsn heavy
Harfxr rlfta -
a shout and gslloped up a knoll" the
far side OF which. that distant from the
tank. proved 10 be alive with fish climb
ing up with prodigious speed; We are 70
suppose that they had left the pool when
the water escaped. but fastened 20 re-
turn, knowing that the rain would rtflii
IT.
As for burrowfag fishes. they are num-
berless. We have a grave report Of ons
species found nineteen feet below the sur
face OF field. IL IL not necessary 20
believe this. But in Abyssinia they are
dug I'D six feet or more below the river
bed when II Is dry
So common IL this excavating in Ceyion
that an ingenious Magistrate was ahis
TO decide a question OF landmark. which
seemed hopeless. BY taking advantage %
IL. One native accused another 81 divert
iES the course OF stream OF which vas
the ancient boundary OF their respertive
lands. thus securing a strip which did
not belong TO him. There was evidence
on both sides. of course
The magislrste invited The plaintiff 70
point out the original CHAINED. now dry
ground. and there be dug. AZ the proper
depth fishes were found-corpses. natural
~. for Il Is not alleged that these odd
creatures can Ire permanently without
moisture. But the jury were satisfied.
aud the guilty man confessed.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06
Val Book
Grocer. Courtney & Book. North
Main, Wichita, Cured of Piles.

Main, Wichita, Cured OF Piles.
A. sAUTTER, Clearwater, Kan.
cured of piles
G. n. kEENER, Patterson, Kan,
cured of piles, fstula and assure.
NORMAN GRIsT, Peck, Kan.
cured of bleeding piles.
L. o. HEIMsAUeH. Red Bud,
Kan, cured of piles.
J. T. EvERHARDT, Pratt. Kan.
cured of piles.
C. &. REPP, Pratt. Kan. cured Of
piles.
S. H. VOOLFOLK, Pratt, Kan.
cured of piles.
w. GARLAND, Kiowa. Kan, cured
of piles.
DR.. C. c. BARNETT, Kiowa. Kan.
cured of istula.
L. A. GRAY. Driftwood. Okla.
cured of piles.
9. A. ScHLEETER. Woodward.
Okla, cured of fstula.
8. w. HEDGES, Cropper. Okla.
cured of piles
e. RAIL, Alva Okla. cured OF
piles.
j. o. SCOTT. Alva. Okla. cured Of
bleeding and protruding piles.
IKE mcHENRY, Alva. Okla. cured
OF piles.
w. 3. eREFoRo, Alva-. Okla.
cured OF bleeding piles.
T. J. eUaNiDoE, Alva, Okla.
cured of piles
w. H. SMITH, Alva. Okla. cured
Of piles.
e. w. DOUGHTY. Alva, Okla,
cured Of piles
w. o. CLOSE. Alva. Okla. cured
Of bleeding piles
w. w. MORRIS. Capron. Okla.
cured Of bleeding piles
JOHN NELSON, Capron. Okla.
cured Of piles and dstuia-
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06

correspondent writing in the Topeka
writes as follows:
To the lay mind "penitendary" is a
synonym for cold and cherries gloom.
The real thing is different. Inside the
four walls of the Kansas penitentiary
there arc grass and flowers a few trees.
abundant light, whitewashed walls and
clean sheets. 1t is not the intention here
TO prove that a penitentiary has any dis
tinct advantages as a permanent place of
residence, nor is Il the desire to increase
immigration in that direction. But the
preconceived idea of prison life is mostly
wrong The standards for the govern
ment and care of conVicts have changed
vastly in the past twenty years. There
is a disposition to make the life of the
well behaved prisoner as bearable as pos
sible consistent with proper punishment
for his crime. There was a time when
the trademark of the convict was a suit
of horizontal stripes and a shaved crown
Now the well behaved prisoner wears
modest uniform suit and has need of a
comb and brush. Those who violate the
prison rules wear stripes as a punishment
therefor. There is a penalty for vioiat-
ing law inside as we'll as out. The heads
of newcomers are still shaved as sani-
tary precaution. But when the convict
does his stretch and goes away, he
takes none of the marks of prison dis
ciplins with him. In the Kansas peniten-
tiary even the lockstep has been aban-
doned. Prisoners march to and from their
work as any other body of workmen.
The loekstep was supposed to mark
man for all time and its abolition is only
one of the steps looking toward humane
government prison which discipline has
undergone.
Lansing the seat of the Kansas peni-
Tertiary. is the four corners of intersec-
ing country roads, and two of the corners
are unimproved property. The peniten-
tiary sits on the brow of a hill, and
the scenery is good. although little used.
The convict population averages about
I1G0 Last winter it was 80 in ex-
cess of that mark and it is now down to
1850. OF these &c are women. Three hun
dred of the prisoners come from Okla
homa. Oklahoma pays for their keep at
the rate of 40 cents a day. Until the re-
cent contract was made the compensation
was 80 cents a day. There was some talk
last winter that the state was losing
money on the contract. When the matter
came up in the legislature it was so
stated on the floor of both bodies. War
den Jewett says there is nothing in this
He says the state has always made
profit on the Oklahoma prisoners. The
rate was raised because there was de-
sire to make more profit. In round num-
bers Oklahoma pays Kansas $4,000 year
for feeding and caring for her prisoners
Payments are made quarterly and ap-
proximate $4,000 at each payment. 1t is
good business for the state, although or
not particularly desirable kind. The
accommodations at the Kansas peniten-
tiary are stretched to the limit. Nobody
as yet, is sleeping on cots in the hail,
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06
DIGGING FOR FISH.

that he would no, pardon certsin csu-
victs during his term was prison gossi>
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06
Elmer Reiff


Brother of the Famous Jockies,
w. U. S. Y, Cured Of Piles.
A. w. HoEHLE. 2sO5 East Dou-
glas, city, cured Of piles.
e. p. FITZWILLlAM. U. S. Ex-
press Co., North Main. protrud-
ing piles.
E. X. WINcHELL. Wichita Ice &
Cold Storage Co., piles and
assure.
A. T. HELLER, city, piles and
assure.
EMIL WERNER, 22S East Dou-
glas, city, cured of piles.
RICHARD BIRD, Biting block,
city, cured of piles.
GEO. w. DARLING, travelling
salesman, city. cured of piles.
FRANK S. KIRK, Enid, Okla,
cured of bleeding piles
JESSIE BUTTS, Enid. Okla. cured
of assure.
JOHN F. cURRAN, Enid, Okla.
cured OF piles.
cHAs. KING, Enid, Okla, cured
Of piles.
o. MCBRIDE, Enid. Okla, cured of
piles.
cHAs. N. eEAL, Enid. Okla.
cured of piles
GEO. w. wHIPPLE. Anna, Okla.
cured of piles
J. C. MCCARTHY, Enid, Okla.
cured of piles.
THos. H. RANDALL. Mt. Hope.
Kan. cured OF piles, assure and
contracted rectum.
C. c. THOMAS, Mt Hope, Kan.
cured Of piles
c. w. BOIL, Mt Hope. Kan.
cured Of bleeding piles.
J. w. DALE Clearwater. Kan.
cured Of bleeding and protruding
piles.
S. II. WATSON. Clearwater. Kan,
cured of bleeding and protrud-
ing piles.
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06

tia. Piles and Ffssure.
GEO. WALKER, Jackson-Walker
Coal Co, cured of piles and
abscess.
|. A. HEcKARD, Metz Lumber
Co., city, cured of piles.
cHAs. T. SULLIVAN, Jett &
Wood city, curede Of abscess.
AMOS MccLAIN, Scheetz building
city, cured of piles.
c. Il. ANDREWS, sign painter,
city, cured of piles.
w. o. VANARsDALE, vanArsdale
& Osborne, cured of piles.
w. f. DULANEY, Superintendent
Wichita Stock Yards. cured OF
piles.
TED MCDONALD, Wichita Bott-
ling Works, cured Of bleeding
piles.
ELMER BEACH, 1857 North EN-
poria, city, cured of bleeding
piles.
o. z. SMITH, city, cured Of piles.
CHARLES FROST, 1142 North
Market, city, cured of bleeding
piles.
S. z. OVAL, Ida and Douglas, city,
cured Of piles.
|. NJ. SINGER, Singer & Donnell.
North Main, city. cured Of bleed
ing and protruding piles.
FRANK j. HIGGINS, with The Full
on, city, cured of piles.
J. Nj. KERR, sSS North Market,
city, cured Of piles.
GEO. w. Hoss, Wichita. Kan,
contracted rectum.
GEO. Nj. SLATER, Cedarvale, Kan,
cured Of piles.
J. A. T. BATES, Kinghsher, Okla,
cured OF piles.
Mr.. E. sNoDeRAss, North Enid.
Okla, cured OF piles.
GEO. TEMPLE, Lyons. Kan.
cured OF piles.