The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1908-09-26

Riggle. a farmer living four and one
half miles northwest OF Peabody, MUIR
dered his wife by strangling her with
his handkerchief and beating her
about the head. After numbering his
wife he committed suicide by shooting
himself in the head.
Prisoner Complains of Fare. - A
prisoner in the county Jail at Wichita
complains to Governor Hoch about
inadequate meals and wretched &C
commodations. He says the Jail is
unsanitary and that the prisoners only
get two scanty meals day. If they
ask fer Haors they are placed in the
dark eoH. The governor will refer
the protest to the commissioners of
Sedgwick county.
Robbed The Depot Safe-The safe
in the ticket office at the Missouri Pa
cific depot in Newton was broken open
and robbed. The robbers first fred the
tool house nearby and took several
crowbars and hammers. Then they
gained entrance to the office by break
ing through a window. The dial OF
the safe was broken off and in thu
hole thus made a quantity of giant
powder or dynamite was inserted, and
the force of the explosion was suf-
ficient to blow the door, weighing
about 400 pounds, off its hinges and
carry it a distance of ten feet. The
robbers secured about $50, partly in
checks.
323 Telephone Cos. in kansas.-Tel-
ephone lines are spread over the
eastern half of the state like a spider
web. The western half is not so slow.
and the lines are being built there
rapidly. 1t VIII be only a short time
before all parts of the state will be
in touch with telephone lines. There
are now 1913 telephone companies in
the state doing business in more than
one county. The tax commission has
that number on its list, and the com
mission is required to assess all COM
panies having lines in more than one
county. Most of these local companies
are mutual concerns, but they have
working combinations with one o.
more OF the big companies, so that
their patrons have long distance con
AONIiOI " neatly every point. 1noro
are some counties in the central part
of the state where every home out
side of the cities and towns has a
telephone.
Five Per Cent Death Rate.-The av-
erage death rate at the state soldiers
home at Dodge City during the past
year was , per cent, according to the
annual report of Commandant S. II.
Thomas. The population of the home
is 500 and twenty-five persons died
during the year. Of these, eighteen
We're soldiers, six We're wives of SOL
diers or widows and one was d son
of a soldier. That disease is rapidly
creeping upon the soldiers is evidenc-
| ed by the fact that The physician of
the home made moro than 5000 calls
during the year. That is perhaps
three times as many calls as a ply
stefan OF q country town with 500
population would make. 1t cost the
state $166 per capita to maintain the
home and Sill per capIta to main
tain the Mother BickefGyke home, ali
adjunct of the soldiers home, where
army nurses and widows are kept.
On account of the increasing attend
ance at the home the commandment
asks for heavier appropriations next
year. He wants SOL 900 for mainten-
ance, increase of $1,000; $4,000 for
freight and transportation, an in
crease of $1,000; $4,000 for building
repairs; $4,000 for new furnishings
for the cottages; $4,000 for an cleo.
trio light plant; $500 for a resident
chaplain; $4,000 for nurses, an in
| crease of $1.40o, and $500 for an as
sistant physician.
A Convict Trusty Escapes.-David
Hughes. convict trusty, ran away
from the Kansas penitentiary road
making gang. Hughes asked permits
sion 10 go for a drink and did not
come back. He was brought to the
penitenti2ry from Carwan, Oklahoma.
for stealing saddle. He had three
months more to serve of a one-vear
| term
Explosion Kills Two Mners.-Win
Murphy and James Mitchell miners
employed in the Oliphant zinc mine at
Galena. were Instantly killed by the
premature explosion of forty-five
| sticks of dynamite which had been
loaded in hole. The explosion is
| believed TO have been caused by fus
ing of an iron tamping bar Muir
ply was found sixty feet away, his
head mashed to pulp and minus a
hand and leg. Mitchel's right leg
was blown off and the body horribly
I mutilated, having been hurled forty
/ feet by the explosion. Mitchell was
an old miner. and had regularly ignor-
ed warnings against using iron to
lamp powder. Mitchell's son ESCAPED
losing two fingers.
both sides. and all that remains +
the rebuttal evidence The state now