The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-04
POLICE JOTTINCS.
Officers Have Run Out of Useful
Prisoners
consequently Asphalt Plant May
Be Shut Down.
SOLUTION IS OFFERED
Put the Idle Policemen to Doing
the Work.
Such a Suggestion Almost
Creates Panic.

Great CONSERVATION has fallen over
the city prison. The foreman at the
city asphalt plant is clamoring for help
and frantically calling up the Jail ev-
cry hour in blind hope, but the one man
taken down this morning is all that is
left of the great gang always kept in
readiness Just one man, Bush Carper,
yesterday fined $40 for drunkenness
without the money to pay, is available
for keeping the plant in operation. Up
until today a bunch of Indians and
vags did the work, their time extend
ing over from the week before but now
there is grave question to be an
sWered relating to the continuance OF
the city plant. Since one week ago to-
night when the new liquor law went
into effect, the officers have been un-
able to replenish the labor supply with
drunk and as a result the Jail is now
practically empty and general indica-
tons point toward a long dry spell.
+ One day during the week before the
new law, "A meals were served into
city prison. 65 was the daily average
for the week, and before that the av
erage was slightly higher, but yester-
day after the time expiration of the
crowd on hand, the total for the day
dropped to "a. This morning there were
but nine breakfasts, which were sup
piled to colored women. United States
prisoner, two buns. the TRUSTEES, and
Bush Caroer.
This is undoubtedly the driest I
have ever seen the town. said Chief
Eaton this morning.
THAT fellow down at the plant call
ing for help reminds me of that other
dry time when Wilkerson was running
this place." said Jailer Hopkins. Il
was jailer at the time. We had not
had drunk around for a week. We
had no one to make a trusty of There
was no janitor and 1 had to do the
cleaning myself. OF course 1 had
plenty of time but it went against the
grain SO one day I begged Wilkerson
to let me go out and walk around a
bit as there was nothing to do at the
station. He let me go and once outside
of the prison 1 took a Decline for the
Union Pacific yards. There L hunted
around for nearly an hour when Obi
JOY! 1 found a tramp and gleefully
froZe onto him as If he was a train
robber with a $4,000 reward on his
head. Over at the station 1 booked
him for vagrancy, made him a trusty
We had him fined IS which kept him
five days By that time We had caught
a drunk who had filled up on hard ci-
der, so We let our .vag go"
My solution of the difficulty" said
John Fowler bookkeeper and patrol
wagon accompanist lis to let all these
| idle policemen go down and work at
| the plant. They have nothing to do
now and might as well be earning their
money. The plant is good Institution,
| if there are no law breakers then we do
| not need the police and they can be in
| reserve while keeping up the good
| work at the asphalt works. He will
| get mobbed if he doesn't keep still.
! The rock pile too is left alone and
| silent, no more the busy peckings in
| the sheds disturb the reveries of Mrs.
| Thorpe's Longing wenches in the sta
| ton tower. Their sleep is unhampered
| by the dismal cummings of their alley
| pals in the back yards and the warm
| breezes float quiet and untroubled
| through the windows to play about
their half clad forms. When these. too.
| have gone. their time expired, then
| whence will come the turbulating fluids
to rouse their sluggish blood and urge
them on to tramping up the alleys in
| a search for treasures for their fav-
| orite gen-imen frien's.
| Already the harvest hands are flock
| ing to the sunfiower state. Two came a
| week ago and are now trying to get
| out. Mere lads, too, from Aurora, Mis-
| souri,, Clyde Wilson and Harry Hen
/ field. Hutchinson was their goal where
| they went without thought Of the fac.
/ that the article for harvest would be
wheat. So many people forget all ex-
| cept the harvest because that is what
they hear. AS a matter of fact when
| they got to Hutchinson they We're told
| that the crop was wheat and would not
/ be ready yet for a month or more and
| to call again as their board would
probably be too much of an expense to
| keep them over. They were found in
the R. R. yards here and booked for
| vags. The judge upon hearing their
story let them go to return to their
homes.
i Still the smoke sticks flare up al
i night and Patrolman Gilbert traced
i two smokers last night by the aid OF
Il the hot ends of the pills and arrested
l Fred and Austin Dana. Both put III
one dollar bonds and forfeited by non
! appearance.
i Judge Urmy last evening showed
4 the much aggrieyed residents along