Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-30
Nebraska
EX.CONVICT SUPPLIED DOPE
August Miller, Trusty at Pen, Makes
AFFIDAVIT to that Effect.
sEoReE sCHARToN THE MAN
Warden smith Unearths Mysterious
way in which Dope Fiends In
state Penitentiary Have
been Supplied.

LINCOLN, May 29.-CSpecial)-August
Muller. a convict in the state peniteh-
tIary. caught by Warden Smith smuggling
in morphine, made affidavit today that ne
had received the dope from George sonar
ton. an ex~-convict Of Lincoln. county
Attorney Tvrrell has sworn to a cimplaint
against the last named. Nineteen ounces
of morphine were taken from Muller.
Muller was a trusty under the late
Warden Beemer, and the latter told war
den Smith that he was reliable IN every
way. For some time Muller had been IN
charge Of the hos barn, In which ne
silent. enjoying practical freedom.
warden Smith became suspicious some
davs ago and searched Muller for dope,
hut found none. Then the warden set a
! trap for his man and discovered where
he had hid eleven ounces of the poison
IN the barn. Muller was then thrown in
the dungeon with the statement that he
would remain there until he told at what
: drug store he got the dope. For several
DAYS the man refused to divulge the in
formation. but this morning he made his
/ affidavit. duplicating Scharton.
According to the Information received
by the warden, Muller would sneak out
OF the barn at night and meet the ex-
convict on the railroad track and pay
him for the poison at the rate of % Genus
an ounce. He would then bring 1t to the
prison and retail It TO the other occa-
sions.
teward Sold the stun.
Frank L. Dinsmore, who is steward of
the hospital, was said to have bought rive
ounces from him at the rate of VI an
ounce. In turn pnsmore retailed the
dope at the rate of from 50 to IS an
ounce.
Warden Smith has discovered that the
( c~onvicts have a system for getting money
, from each other that borders on high fl
: nance. The convict who has cash will ex-
change It with another convict who has
: money coming 10 him at the Office at the
rate Of 81 for 81. This system made II
unnecessary for many of the convicts to
draw money at the office. but they sim
ply had the transfer made on the records
of the warden.
Muller was sentenced to the peniten-
tiary from Stanton county for shooting
his wife with intent to kill. He received
originally fifteen years, but the supreme
court cut this down to three years. With
his good time he would have been re.
leased next November.
George Scharton, said to have been his
accomplice, was sent to the prison from
WI u SAAa - Va ANN
was received at the penitentiary Marcel
"a, 1908, and released December rs, 1908
Frank L. Dinsmore was sentenced FOL
life from Dawson county. For some year:
he has been steward of the hospital anC
is referred to as the doctor by the othe
convicts as we'll as the officials of tho
prison.
Warden Smith will make every effor
to- locate the druggist who sold the dop,
to the convict. and II he is located he will
prosecute him with visor.
For years an effort has been made q
stope the use o fdope at the penitentiary
but the catch today is the first tangibl,
result In the fight.
G~raphOphOne VS.. Piani.
The internal war between members o
the board of public lands and building
and Governor Shallenberger over the 5
rent for a piano for the executive mansion
Is liable to end in a dog fall. The boar,
refused TO allow the claim. though it ha,
paid the rent on previous occasions. So
member of the governors office force ha
figured out that he can trade in some o
the records used in the graphophone whicl
was bought by the board for governo
Sheldon. This graphophone cost the stat
500 and IT was paid for last December.
The Shallenberger family is not overl
partial to graphophone music and woul