The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-09
KANSAS TO LOSE.
Likely There Will Be a Shortage
at Penitentiary.
Oklahoma viii Take Away 400
Prisoners.
NOT ENOUGH LEFT.
Mines Hay Suffer From Lack of
Prisoners.
Great Quantities Of Binding
Irvine at the Prison.

Kansas may soon lose 400 out of the
1900 prisoners now confined in the state
penitentiary. If congress passes the
Oklahoma statehood bill, Oklahoma will
In all probability at once proceed to
take care Of its own prisoners.
This may cause a serious shortage of
workmen in some of the Lansing mines,
factories and shops, which have been
expanded to give employment to the
Oklahoma as well as the Kansas pris-
oners.
John Brown. clerk Of the penitentiary
was in Topeka yesterday checking up
the monthly payroll. and said:
The prison officials expect that if
the Oklahoma statehood bill becomes
a law, that we will at once lose all our
Oklahoma prisoners. There are four
big jails down in Oklahoma, which have
an aggregate capacity of about 900
prisoners. These jatls are now owned
by the government, but in case of
statehood, they will become the pro-
perty of the state. The government
prisoners from Indian Territory and
elsewhere now confined in these big
jails Will be transferred to the federal
prison at Leavenworth, and the Jails
will be vacant. The natural thing to
expect is that Oklahoma will at once
transfer all its prisoners to its own
jails.
.Even though it does not decide to
use these jails for its convicts, it will
certainly begin without delay the con-
struction of a penitentiary of its own.
Oklahoma has nearly as large a popu-
lation as Kansas, and the people are
well fixed.
THE result will be that we will be
left very short Of workmen for the
penitentiary. We need about 400 men
in the coal mine in winter time, and
300 men are employed in the off season
Then there is the binding Irvine plant,
the furniture factory, the overall fac
tory, the leather works, and employ
ment for 100 men in taking care Of the
prison. 1t looks as though some of
these things would have to be elimina-
ted.
Big Supply of Binding Irvine.
There is now on hand about 1,00O.-
600 pounds of binding twine, and
owing to the unfayorable weather
which has shortened the wheat crop,
it Is regarded as likely that not more
than 50O,O 900 pounds will be sold be-
fore the harvest.
I'VE are making" said Mr. Brown,
about 10, 900 pounds of Irvine a day.
The plant has been running at this
capacity the whole year, and conse-
quently we are bound to have some
what Of a supply on hand We have
sold about 1,25O,0O0 pounds this sea-
son of which ESQ, 900 pounds went to
Oklahoma. They say that the Kansas
LW1ne uXed the price down there IN
Oklahoma"
The comparatively small number of
orders for binding Irvine indicates one
OF two thingsNefther the crop is
short, or else the wheat headers are
displacing the binder to a great extent.
month ago a Pratt county co-opera-
tive association. the members OF
which are wheat growers, placed an
order with Mr.. Brown for a carload,
or 10000 pounds. Of Irvine. This or
der was reduced to one-third two
weeks ago, and yesterday the dealer
ordered it again reduced to 5000
pounds. The dealer wrote that the
continued dry weather was doing
great damage. and that the crop
would be much shorter than was ex-
pected month ago.
Mr.. Brown says that John Collins is
holding down one of the most desira Bile
positions given to convict about the
prison.
Collins" said Brown, els clerk of
one of the cell houses. He checks the
prisoners in at night and checks them
out again in the morning. If a pris-
oner is entitled to another supply of
tobacco or books, Collins makes a note
of it and notifies the supply clerk. He
has a typewriter in his cell and spends
a great deal of time writing. I do not
know whether he is writing for publ
cation or for his own amusemen Col
Inns has charge of the prison band and
spends much of his time studying mu-
sic and French -