The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-20
STATES FALL OUT
Kansas and Nebraska at War
Over Insane Man.
Rocks County Sheriff Arrested
at Instance of Sister State.
ACTING UNDERORDERS
Told by Board of Control to Re-
turn Crazy Person.
He Was Citizen of Nebraska and
Former Inmate of Asylum.

Interstate complications are threat
ened between Kansas and Nebraska
all because a Kansas sheriff from
Rocks county returned an insane
man from Nebraska to his home in
that state and tried to get the
authorities there to take care of him.
The Nebraska county officials reared
UP on their hind legs and had the
sheriff arrested under that clause of
the Nebraska law that prohibits any
one from bringing an insane person
across the borders of the state. The
Kansas law requires that insane per-
sons and paupers be taken back TO
the states from which they came.
The funny part about it all is that
{ the Kansas sheriff, who was arrested
. and who is now under bond of $500
awaiting trial at Nebraska CITY, was
acting under orders from Harry Bow
man of the Kansas board of control.
The insane man in the case is j.
A. Rankin and he was an inmate of
the Nebraska asylum until few
months ago when he was discharged
as cured. He came to Stockton, |
Rocks county and short time after |
his residence there was adJudged IN |
sane by the probate court. Ihen |
Sheriff s. n. Manaugh. after con- I
ferring with the state board of con- |
troll about the matter, took Rankin |
-DaCk TO NeDIdShd d lew QdSS cASO- |
The sheriff was promptly arrested by |
the Nebraska authorities for bringing /
an insane man into the state He
was released on a $500 bond and his /
trial set for the Wednesday of this
week. After having gotten him into
this trouble the sheriff expects the
board of control to help him get out
of it.
Attorney General Jackson wired the
attorney general of Nebraska as fol-
please order local authorities at
Nebra ska City to dismiss case against
Kansas sheriff arrestet/for returning
an insane patient to Nebraska"
No word has been received from
the Nebraska attorney general. If
the case goes to trial, the Kansas
board of control will employ counsel
to defend the Rocks county sheriff
There is suspicion here that the
Nebraska asylum discharged Rankin
as cured for the purpose of dumping
him on to Kansas
''It is the first time a Kansas official
was ever humiliated for returning an
insane person" said Harry Bowman, |
chairman of the board of control.
''WhiIe there are no reciprocal laws
on the subject. the various states I
have always adhered to a policy OF !
looking after their own insane and :
accepting them back from another :
state. Kansas has accepted many of !
that kind. 6
Il cannot DeueNe tnal the tNep- (
raska state officials will punish an
official of another state for taking
one of it's unfortunate people back
home"
F. ]. Altswager. treasurer OF Reno
and candidate for state treas [
urer had business in Topeka this week
and while here talked with friends
about his political aspirations. Mr:
Altswager received the endorsement of
the county treasurers in their state /
convention last spring and also has the d
warm support of his county organiza- c
ton and is strong in the Seventh dis c
with Senator Chapman out of the n
race the chances of the Reno county il
nan look brighter. Senator Chapman, t
who had been mentioned as candi-
late for state treasurer, has issued the il
statement: S
After mature deliberation I havel c
decided not to enter the contest for b
state treasurer. I have canvassed the e
situation pretty thoroughly and have b
1gured it out that it will take months a
IF time [ cannot take away from my f
business. I believe it would be folly
'or me to neglect my business 10 make
he fight
caves Senator Cambern of Neosho in
he race, and he is a strong man. Theil II
I5ere is Mark Tulley the present treas
lrer. to reckon with. While the Gus
ON in Kansas has been to bar the
bird term to state officials, yet it has
,een broken and Mr.. Tulley's splendid ii
-ecord has started a good deal of third f,
erm talk in his case. A
The recent criticism over the removal 4
II the G. A r. Offices from the east q
wing of the state house to the north a
wing was i'll advised and uncalled for. Y
rhe effort was made in a newspaper g
rticle to show that the G. A. r. was Z
,eing badly treated and forced to leave
offices for a makeshift 81
,lace in order to give the entire north ii
ide of the east wing to the board Of
lealth- The facts are, that the matter n
vas checked up to the G. A. r. officials Is
hey viii occupy in the north wing are
S comfortable as those they are leav- ~
no and while they only have two
ooms in their present quarters they
giH have 4'--~ rooms in the north
ring. Then the state will remodel and
efurnish these new offices and will n,
pend more money on the G. A r. in r.
his move than has been spent for that q,
rganization in the past six years.
The state board of health today -
tarted the publication of it's famous =
rder abolishing public drinking cups .,
rom trains depots and schools. The Z
rder becomes effective Sept. 1. The -
oard takes the grounds that the COM y
lou drinking cup spreads disease and Dl
hat all public places and institutionsi cl
here water is kept for drinking pur- &c
oses should furnish cheap paper or IN
araffine drinking cups. A slot ma NJ
hine for these cups is recommended n
v the board. The authority of the tt
oard for this radical and sweeping
rde- was Granted by the last session