The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-24

| No one denies that the promise was
made, or that the old man has shown
great appreciation of the kindness.
After he was installed as guard of the
city rock pile, a scanty living for the
| remainder of his days seemed assured.
His honesty and faithfulpess preclud-
led any chance to remove him for
cause, and although the bosses of the
many administrations under which he
served. have sometimes shown an in
clination to replace him with some po-
litical pet, he has remained secure I'M
til the present. City officials have hest
made to an ignorant and confiding old
negro, % years ago by the city off,
cials CT that regime.
Boyd is deDosed. Shorn of his star
and monstrous six-shoOter-which was
lnever used in any attempt to destroy
a fellow mortal. and was worn for eff
fect-"Colonel' Boyd appears each
morning at roll call at the police sta
ton, cane in one hand and dinner pail
in the other. ready to assume the
duties of that mysterious "other job
which has been vaguely promised him
by the powers that be. Naturally
trustfuT,- and believing that his intel
|lectual superiors are at least equally
honest as himself. it does not occur to
him to doubt the promises of the
"other job" Therefore he comes
ready to assume his duties at mo-
ment's notice. But Boyd is old, and
the strain is telling on him. He eager
ly inquiries for news of the "other job"
of each visitor at the police station
and waits.
BOYD was removed on the grounds
that he let prisoners escape from the
rock pile. In reality, the escape OF
prisoners from the rock pile was not
the fault of Col" Boyd. The jail yard
is poorly fenced. and is usually Uttered
with captured joint fixtures-tables and
bars-which are piled against the fence.
An active prisoner can at any time
make half a dozen jumps and land on
the street. On the south side OF the yard
is fiimsy board fence, and across the
street from it a large office building. On
the east is a thin board fence, with
living quarters across the street, likewise
on the north and west Should the
guard shoot at an escaping prisoner, ne
might possibly hit him. and cause the
victim to soak up the flying lead He
would be more apt to miss him, and the
bullet vending it's way across to some
occupied building via the fence which
would not stop q load OF bird Shot, XIII
the usual innocent bystander. NO, IL
was not Boyd's fault. The new guard,
a negro who is better qualified for the
position only in a few years of age, VIII
lose prisoners, just as did col. BOYD
If he attempts to use drastic measures
sucn as shooting at the departing guest,
he will get into worse trouble than
COL Boyd. who faces not the pen1ten-
tiary. but honest starvation.
when Mistah Wilkinson was chief,
saws BOYD, somebody was a-tellin' me
I must shoot prisoners when they run.
Mistah Wilkinson he toP me that talk
was all wrong. They is fellow mans
saws Mistah Wilkehson, an they is In
heah because they got drunk er stole
little somethin'. They is not like folks
in III penitenshy. an you is right not
to shoot dem. Shoot some po'-man what
is in foh some lii fence, an you Is
lest as bald as eff you kill good man,
an YOU go to de pentenshy.
Il nevah kill nobody, an ahm glad OBJ
it,"
It is certainly to be hoped that the
''other Job" is not all hot air Old man
Royd has had his troubles during the
wears he has been supporting himself
and family on the $40 a month which the
city was paying him as salve for his
injuries in the service. His injuries
have been added to by the ravages OF
rheumatism and old age, but sick or We'll
Uncle Boyd failed not to appear at the
station for duty. During the bad winter
days when he knew that the prisoners
would not be required to work on the
stone pile-even when there were no pris-
oners in the jail-'Col." Boyd appeared
as usual. and staid all day. Many jail
ers present and past, have argued with
the old man on this subject, advising
him to go homo and doctor his rheuma-