The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-12-06

Are 200 Cases Tuberculosis in
Instit1tion.
Need New Prison or Remodel
Old One.

Within ten-acre enclosure at the
state prison at Lansing. 500 men and
women-human beings cast after the
image of God-work. eat and sleep
under tho most unsanitary conditions
existing in the state. In the three big
cell blocks every rule and order Of the
state board Of health il violated with
daily regularity and impunity and 200
men who went to the penitentiary
physically strong are today suffering
from tuberculosis in varying stages.
This condition isn't the fault Of
any one person. It il a condition
which has existed for years. In fact,
conditions are probably better today
than ever before in the history Of the
prison plant But in a general way
dition in which Governor Stubbs
found 1t when he succeeded E. w.
Hoch in Office. The same condition
existed when Hoch succeeded Bailey
and when Bailey followed Stanley in
the governors chair.
Every few months for q period Of
20 years there has been an era Of
prison reform in Kansas. The public
sympathy and sentiment has been
preyed upon. the prison was dragged
more or less into the succeeding po-
litical campaign And then the state
was allowed to forget the poisonous
foul air. the ravages Of the white
plague. the spread Of disease germs
and the lOathsome, dirty and unsanf-
tary cells Of the prison into which hui
man beings are herded as strong men
and from which they emerge, broken
in body and health and UNIT for the
battle Of life when their prison term
is ended.
Legislature VIII Act-Maybo.
No ono has ever denied that the
Kansas state penitentiary il the most
disgraceful and damnable Of all state
institutions. Warden Botkin says SO.
So does Governor Hodges. But, 80
did Warden Codding and Governor
Stubbs and Warden Jewett and Gov
ernor Hoch and Warden Tomlinson
and Governor Bailey before them So
did all Kansas in fact But condi-
tions have not changed.
Last winter the joint legislative
committee ON penal institutions rec
commended q new penitentiary. But
the legislature adjourned without
making an appropriation for perhaps
the greatest of the states needs.
In 1915 Warden Botlin and Gov
ernor Hodges will recommend a new
penitentiary, or at least the building
of sanitary cells for the one now in
use. What the legislature will do
about the matter is another thing.
Violate An Health Laws.
Every health law. rule and regula-
ton in Kansas fs apparently violated
IN the Lansing penitentiary.
Cells built four tiers high and reach
ing to the ceiling and the entire length
of the three cells blocks, or houses, is
the method of housing the men who
commit crime in Kansas. Iron barred
doors. with thick stone and mortar
walls on three sides. except for a small
circular opening at the rear Of the cell.
is the room In which each man
sleeps at night. Through the iron door
and the small hole in the wall. the
only ventilation for the cells u afford
ed. And the only air in the cell block
IL through two doors to the long mar
row buildings.
Each night from ESQ to 500 men
sleep in each Of the cell blocks, where
1T IL admitted that 1t is almost impos-
sible to secure fresh air. But these
800 men breathe the foul air nearly
II hours Of every a. hours of the day
and night.
That isn't all.
The board Of health's public drink
1ng cup and roller towel order applied
to every public building and institution
Of the state. There Il q state law COW
ering the matter. But the drinking
cup and the roller towel arc still on
the job In the state penitentiary.
In these cells there IL no running
water, no lavatoTte9. Each man who
IL doomed to q term In Lansing prison,
finds a pail in his cell. These pals
are carried to an opening to the pris-
ON sewer each morufng-800 men
marching single file from their cells
carrying their own waste.
Men sleep 1856 nights each year un-
der these conditions at Lansing. Some
Of the men have been there 20 years-
(Which only goes to show" said
prison employee, that the human ami
NAL fs pretty hard to kill. after all
B0uGht Prisoners Fans.
During the hot nights last summer
when Topeka men and women were
sweltering ON their sleeping porches.
the 500 men in the Kansas peniten-
ttary were sleeping in the closed cell
blocks and private cells There wasn't
q breath Of fresh air in the cell bl0ckA
There wasn't IN electric tan or ven-
tilating contrivance in the buildings.
But each night 800 men went to bed
In each Of tho cell blocks. just the
same.
One day Warden Botkin went to
Leavenworth and bought 500 palm
leaf fans That afternoon q fan was
placed in each cell. That night there
was a revival meeting in the prison
chapel and each man walked to the
chapel-carrying his palm leaf fan.
That night q dozen men 9ro0o to pray
ana q dozen convicts thanked God for
those fans-
Conf5n0ed on Fage Htvel
Wanas Younger santo C1auA