The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-10
JOHNSON IS Wild.
Young Forger Is Closely Guard
ed in Cell at Jail.
Attempts Escape by Climbing
Airshaft to Roof.
ABUSED BY PRISONERS
In Delirium Talks of Whipping
by Kangaroo Court.
Authorities Want Him Sent to
Missouri Asylum.

Having completely lost his mind as
result of worry over how to plan
and execute his escape from the coun-
ty Jail, and his abuse by his fellow
prisoners, Everett johnson, the young
forger, now talks about nothing else.
He nearly lost his life Thursday before
he could be extricated from the air
shaft, into which he had wedged him
self in trying to climb to the top of
the jail and leap to freedom.
Today Johnson is stark naked in his
cell and two prisoners watch him con-
stantly, being relieved when they grow
tired by other prisoners. Thus is a
constant guard kept upon him. john
son tore his clothing into shreds and
from his body. He cries and whim-
pers, moving constantly about in his
cell talking all the time of escape.
The severe disciplining of the pris-
oners in the second story cell house
has had its effect on Johnson. He is
now in the lower cell house and the
prisoners are good to him. But he
remembers, even in his insanity, his
experience in the upper cell house
when he was given $50 lashes at the
order of the kangaroo court. and
obeys like a child. The action was
an outrage and should never have
been tolerated in the county Jail.
Mind Is Failing.
Johnson has been growing worse,
mentally, since his first attempts to
escape from the county Jail failed.
Thursday he was missed by the pris-
oners. A search was made for him
and after an hour he was found in
the airshaft, wedged in so tightly that
he could not move either forward or
backward, but wedging himself still
more solidly by trying to climb furth-
er up the shaft. Two men worked an
hour to get him out.
johnson tells great stories of his at
tempts to escape and shows plainly that
he fears he would be shot If he did try
to leave the Jail. The airshaft is large
at the place where it opened into the
stove pipe on the top of the Jail. John
son tells of having climbed to the top
of the tail through the shaft and sew
eral times. he claims to have been
ready to make his escape when men
appeared in the street and shot at him,
forcing him to descend into the cell
again. This morning he claims there
was a man on the roof OF the jail who
shot at him.
Probably with the delusion he must
inplicate the other, prisoners to protect
himself, Johnson always promises that
as quickly as he is safely on the roof
he will lower a rope to the other pris-
oners and thus assist them all in max
ing their escape.
Would Send Him to Asylum.
A letter has been written to John
sons brother who resides in Omaha,
urging him to come and get his broth
er and have him placed in the Mis-
souri, asylum. Johnson's home is in
Missouri and he would not be accept
ed by the Kansas board of control for
a local asylum. Johnsons brother de-
clared the young forger insane when
he visited the Jail a few weeks ago and
ST ggesred d lunacy commission at that
time Now there is little doubt that
lunacy will be the only charge against
Johnson. He will likely never come to
trial on the charge of forgery upon
which he has been held.
1t is useless to furnish johnson with
clothing and it will not be given him
until time for his trial. Then he will
be equipped with a suit of overall stuff
and an effort will be made to keep him
from destroying it.