Evening star., 1912-10-10
BAR MATTE L0MAX
PenitentjarieS Refuse to Take
Slayer of Husband.
OFFICIALS HAVE PROBLEM
Kansas Prison Authorities Declare
District Must Move Forty
Women at Lansing.
OFFICIALS HAVE PROBLEM

Matte LOmaX. colored, slayer of her
husband, Cecil Lomax. who is under sem
tence OF life Imprisonment. having es-
capped the salloWs through executive
clemency. is without home. She still is
in the District Jail. but under the terms
OF her sentence she must be sent to a
penitentiary. Thus far the government
has found no penitentiary where the Of
ficials will receive her. and she may have
to remain in the local Jail for an ndefinite
period.
1t was the intention of the Department
Of Justice and Jail officials to send her
to the state prison at Lansing, Kan, but
officials of that prison refuse to accept
her. Not only do they refuse to accept
the murderess. but they have notified the
Department of Justice that all the woman
prisoners from this city will have to be
taken rom there. and. it is stated there
are about forty of them, twenty more
from here than the state
Matter of Conjecture.
Where Matte LomaX will spend her re-
naming years is a matter of conjecture
Jail officials believe she eventually will
so to the Government Hospital for the
Insane, as her conduct is such as to in
dicate that she is mentally irresponsible.
The prisoner continues as troublesome as
she was before President Taft commuted
her sentence to life imprisonment.
1t is said that officials of the Depart
ment of Justice have asked officials of
the Kansan prison to keep the woman
prisoners from this city until the compile
ton of the woman's ward at the federal
prison at Leavenworth but it is thought
the request will not be granted The
Lansing officials are anxious to get rid OF
the added responsibility Of caring for the
Washington prisoners. and it is probable
they soon will have to move.
Coupled with the request that the
prisoners be permitted to remain in the
Lansing prison until the completion Of
the wOmen's ward at LeavenwOrth was
a request that Matte Lomax be added to
the number. 1t is said that the women's
ward at Leavenworth will not be finished
for a year or two, and the Kansas prison
officials are not desirous of caring for the
federal prisoners for so long a time.
Reasons Not Known Here.
Why the Lansing authorities are
anxious to get rid of the Washington
prisoners is not known here. 1t is
possible that they fear overcrowding
of the prison or that the Washington
women are too troublesome The ques-
tion of where Matte is to be sent, it
is thought, will be determined in a
few days.
Eighteen men under sentence to
serve in the penitentiary are in the
local jail, and there seems to be some
doubt as to where they will be sent
They may be sent to Atlanta or
Leavenworth, or they may be divided
| into groups Of short and long term
| prisoners. Should this be done it is
probable that those under sentence Of
! more than two years viii be sent to
Lcavenworth. while those who are to
serve two years or under Will go to
| Atlanta.
1t was stated this morning that the
eighteen prisoners may be held here
until about November !, by which time
the number probably win be largely
increased.