The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-14
SCANDAL IN JAIL.
Released Federal Prisoner Tells
a Startling Story.
Says Inmates Have All Liquor
They Want.
BOTTLES SMUGGLED In
TRUSTEES and Negro Women
Furnish Wet Goods.
Sheriff Norton Promises to
,OTTLES SMUGGLED In
Sheriff Norton Promises to
Make Rigid Investigation.

Charles Miller, for more than five
months a federal prisoner at the Shaw
nee county Jail, stated today that large
quantities of liquor has been drank
by prisoners in the Jail in the last few
weeks. Miller declares that the LOU IT
was smuggled into the Jail by TRUSTEES
and negro women who are allowed TO
visit prisoners.
All knowledge of the alleged whole
sale drinking is denied by county Of
ficials. Sheriff ]. D. Norton said he
had never received knowledge that the
brewery output was being consumed by
his 80 guests. Jailer Bundy was a bit
peeved when the matter was stated ID
him. Bundy was certain that never
one drop of liquor had ever reached
the prisoners.
Then a visitor asked Bundy to make
trip over the Jail yard. Bundy made
the trip. When that visitor showed
Bundy a dozen whisky bottles in the
north and east Jail yard, he still re-
fused to be convinced.
Those are empty bottles taken in
raids, or bottles which held liquor and
We're ordered destroyed declared the
jailer, who by this time was bit in
clined to lose his temper. Further
than that this man Miller doesn't know
what he is talking about. He's crazy"
After this the matter was taken be-
fore Sheriff Norton.
where do you destroy the cOnf1S-
Gated liquor?" was asked.
I'm the sewer in the basement of the
court house." was Col Norton's reply.
Then Norton was told of the state
ment made by Miller and of the finding
of the empty whisky bottles in the Jail
yard under the windows. Norton de-
clared he would investigate the mat
ter and if necessary make a shake up
in the working force at the Jail. Nor
ton also said he would see that a closer
watch is kept of the TRUSTEES and WISH
tors to the Jail.
do you know" said Miller this
morning, as he sat in the office of this
United States marshal, that I have
seen as high as dozen bottles of
whisky in the Jail at one time. This
liquor is given to the prisoners by the
TRUSTEES and negro women who visit the
Jail 1t is not an unusual thing to see
the TRUSTEES come to the Jail in all
stages of intoxication.''
Never under the present administra-
ton has liquor been destroyed in the
county Jail yard. Yet the place was to-
day Uttered with whisky bottles. Most
of them were found near the northeast
corner of the building and Under orG
of the windows of the hospital ward.
But persons in other parts of the build
ing could have thrown them to the com
mon dumping ground, where there is
an extensive rock pile.
Perhaps much of this liquor came
from the hospital ward. where the .suf-
fering prisoners needed more than the
ordinary amount of nOuriShment. But
in the glaring crusade of the county
officials to secure a. record for liquor
prosecutions. the consumption at the
county Jail seems to have been over
looked. Not since the opening of tire
April term of the district court has
the county attorneys office made az
official Investigation of the county Jail
although numerous trips have beer
made to the building for the purpose o.
sweating men held for trial for vari-
ouS OffenSeS.