Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-01-16
Staying of Convict at State
Penitentiary Brings Up a
Fine Law Point.
CASE PUZZLES OFFICIALS
County Attorney Writes to Attorney
General for Instructions as to
the Proper Procedure.

IL Leaveuworth county for the murder
of Frank Miller No 5, an inmate of
the insane ward at the state peniten-
tiary, and if so, what?
David n. Flynn, county attorney of
-Leavenworth county, wants to know
John S. Dawson, attorney general, is
looking up the problem in answer to
a letter received from Flynn asking
what steps should be taken
The case presents bewildering Ie-
gal tansle. Frank Miller No 5, ac-
cording to the coroner's jury, was
killed by three other convicts- Frank
Miller No. 4, no relative, serving five
to ten-year sentence for burglary from
Washington county; William La
Trasse, ten to twenty-one years for
train robbery, Wyandotte county, and
IT. c. ("Home RUM Campbell, one
to five years for robbery, Barton
county.
The beating of Frank Miller No. 5,
which resulted in his death on De-
cember 20, was witnessed only by con-
victs. Their testimony is not adrnis-
| sible in court. 1t was suggested that
the witnesses might be pardoned and
then Used as witnesses.
This presented a fresh complication
| The witnesses not only were convict>,
/ they were insane convicts, confined in
tie ward for the criminal insane at
Lsnslng. If court could accept the
testimony of a pardoneG canvici.
could it admit that of an insa~r man?
/ None of the three sane convicts who
4 participated in tie killing could be
forced to testify. III his letter lynn
admits he is sturapcd. Dawson hasn't
II Ill
l. From the present outlook the state
/ has no way to PUNISH the convicts for
lruICering an insane prisoner when
there were no witnesses except i'll
mates of the big house" ward.
Joke Kills ACCOMPLISHMENTS with
an uncontrolled desire to celebrate
Christmas with noise placed a signal
torpedo on a track in the Santa Fe
Railroad yards at Chanute. A switch
engine exploded the torpedo while
| William F. Norman, a conductor, was
taking the Eumber of the cars of his
| train on an adjacent track, particle
| of the explosive struck Norman in the
right eye. He died an hour later on
a special train which was taking him
to the company hospital in Topeka.
x * x
Farmer Found Dead.-John Clark,
farmer As years old, was found dead
in bed recently at his home, eight
miles southwest of Olathe. Heart dis
ease was the probable cause of death.
x x X
Conductor Fatally lnjured.-Owen
Thomas, a Santa Fe conductor whose
home is in Emporia, was struck by an
incoming passenger train at Florence
and fatally injured.
Won't Buy Dogs.-Kansas sheriffs
attending the annual convention of
the Kansas Sheriffs' Association at
Wichita put little faith in blood
hounds for running down criminals. A
move to enable sheriffs to buy hounds
as aids failed
Ends an Old Lawsuit.
The Kansas supreme court has
granted a writ of mandamus to the
county commissioners of Wyandotte
county to compel w. E. Davis, state
auditor, to register the bonds to pay
for the Argentine wagon bridge over
the Kaw river.
Buying Light MuIes.-Agents who
have been buying up all available cav
airy horses through Kansas for the
French and English armies, are now
after pack mules for use in. the French
army.
No Claim on Missouri Pacific.-Fed-
eral Attorney Gregory reaffirms the
action of his predecessors in holding
that the Missouri Pacific, present own
er of the Central Branch-Union Pacific
Railroad Company, is not bound to pay
the governments old s1,6o0.0o0 subsi-
dy bond claim against the property.
Train Kills School GirI.-WhiIe
Miss Julia Nelson, a 17-year-old girl,
/ was on her way to school at ingalls,,
: the buggy in which she was riding
was struck by a Santa Fe train and
she was killed.
Train Hits Auto.-W. H Fitch and
son, o. w. Fitch, were badly injured
when their automobile was run down
by Missouri Pacific switch engine at
Wichita The machine refused to re-
, spond to brakes because of the ice on
, the pavement.
Seize Holiday liquor.-Officials
have raided the clubs in Salina and
arrested more than a dozen alleged
bootleggers in the last few days.