The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-24

vict. But when evidence was offered
to the effect that former wardens had
borrowed from the convict fund for
their private purposes, the testimony
was rejected.
From Brown, however, the defense
managed to secure the statement that
the state had for years used the con-
Wet fund for its own purposes 1t
would be impossible to operate the
prison day without this fund, Brown
stated Yet when the witness was ask
ed If to his personal knowledge for
mer wardens had used the fund for
their own use as we'll as the use of
the state, the testimony was ruled out
IF it is competent to show that
Botkin borrowed money and paid in
terest on it, isn't 1t just as competent
to show that former wardens Dor
rowed from the convict fund and
didn't pay a cent of INTEREST,"" insisted
A. NJ Jackson of Botkin counsel.
5. NJ. Brewster, attorney general, ar
gued that a custom of wrongdoing
could not be established and the testi-
mony of Brown was eliminated.
Brown testified as to the physical
condition of the prison. He has not
been prison employee since 1909,
but is regarded as an expert in the
affairs at the Lansing penitentiary. He
asserted that in many of the depart
ments, he considered conditions far
better than ne had known them dur
ing the period from 1901 to 1903
Recently Brown visited % depart
ments in the state penitentiary- He
made notes on his investigation and
stated that in every department. con-
ditions were as good or far better
than at any time in 5 years. Then
the use of the convict fund by the
state was taken up.
BOtkin Is Called.
The bitter feeling displayed in the
investigation came to the surface dur
ing a short examination of Warden
BOtkin, who was called to the stand
n 81 statement
Clark, a discharged employee. Clark
had testified that many prisoners bad
been placed on the "favorite" list ana
permitted to eat at special tables and
receive better food than the men in
the mines, Irvine plant and shops.
once when he mentioned the matter
to the warden, Clark testified, Botkin
told him bother the rules
Il want to say to the attorneys and
to this commission that Clark is a
falsifier,'' asserted the warden with
much feeling Il never made such ID
statement to Clark or any other per-
SON.
Clark was standing but few feet
from Botllin when the warden made
this statement.
You know you are lying" said
Clark in tone loud enough to be
heard by every member of the COM
mission.
you know that you are lying"
snapped Botkin as he turned on the
former prison employee. The COM
mission raped for order and admon-
ished witnesses and attorneys to re-
frain from demonstrations or express
sions of personal feeling. But the in
cident revealed the real underlying
feeling in the fight between Botkln's
accusers and his friends.
Conditions in the Irvine plant, in
the brick plant and in the mines were
inquired into from number of wit
nesses.
E. T. Poison. in charge of the pris-
on brick plant, told of the new plant
that had risen from the heap of scrap
iron.
''Under the old system it used to
make brick Poison stated. He then
said that these brick were worth about
81 a thousand. With new machinery,
though, Poison. expected to reduce
the cost to about 1929 thousand.
with our new machinery we will
turn out 10000 brick day with the
use of thirty men," the witness testi-
fled ''Under the old plan, we used
45 to so men and turned out 1850
brick a day.
Cost of Making Brick.
The cost of manufacturing brick
was related. Poison said that charge
of fifty cents a day was made against
his department for every man en-
ployed. He also said that coal was
charged to the department at 10 cents
a bushel
Conditions in the Irvine plant were
revealed by f. C. Lands, chief clerk.
Lands told of the borrowing by the
state of nearly $125,000 to be used in
the purchase Of raw sisal for the
of Irvine. The interest
cost on this money until the collections
for manufactured Irvine are available,
will amount to more than $2,746, ac
cording to Lands.
During the 1915 session of the state
legislature, an appropriation was
made
fund. This appropriation was vetoed
by the governor. Because this money
is not available, the state is borrowing
money with which to conduct the
prison department.
Albert E. Derbyshire. a prison mine
for sixteen years, told the
commission that conditions in the
mine at this time were better than at
any time during his employment. He
also testified that prison discipline was
good and based his statement on
knowledge of general conditions un- |
der former administrations. Testify
ing further, Derbyshire said that he
visited the mines with John Pelegrino, |
spector made no complaint regarding
conditions. Last week. during the |
hearing at Lansing, Pelegrino ordered |
the closing of four sections of the |
prison mine.
Thomas J. Boone. also a mine en-
ployee, testified as to sixteen years ex-
perience in the state prison mine and |
eight years as an employee of the fed |
era1 prison. He said conditions in the |
mine at this time were the best he had |
ever known. The witness could recall |
but two serious accidents in the state |
mines during his service. None has |
occurred under the Botkin admins
tratiOn.
ST, MARyS RETREAT |