The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-08-17
Second Day of Hearing Over
Prison Warden's Dismissal.
BEGGED HIM TO TAKE MONEY
Defendant Gave Him an Inter-
est Bearing Note.
Repaid the Loan Before 1t Was
Due, He Testifies.

William Lone Wolf, an Indian, seri-
cusly punctured the case against
Warden j. ID. Botl<in today when he
testified that he himself had repeat
edly insisted that Botkin make use of
money which he had on deposit while
q prisoner at Lansing. BOtkin not only
repaid the money, but paid a greater
rate of interest than the Indian had
asked. Lone Wolf was regarded as the
big star witness for Governor Capper,
but when he left the stand without
having been croSs-eXa amined, the suit
to oust Botkin had been badly pune
tured.
Time after time today counsel for
Governor Capper sought to directly
connect Botkin with overt acts or di-
rect miSmana cement The most seri-
Gus testimony against the warden was
his connection with the escape of b.
j. Clifford, whom Botkin had taken to
Kansas City to look after some imag
mary bank accounts.
Strife Among Employees.
During the Botkin administration, it
was shown. there has been factional
strife among employees Two or three
discharged employees were reinstated
by the prison board. From none of
today's witnesses, however, was there
evidence that Botkin had been a party
to the factiOnal trouble.
l. In the fifteen charges against Bot
kin, the charge of borrowing money
from prisoners. was regarded as the
most serious. Lone Wolf was the man
who was expected to drive home this
charge against the warden. The In
dian had been an inmate of the prison
during the Botkin term.
Did you have a transaction with
Warden Botkin regarding loaning
some money!" asked s. NJ Brewster,
attorney general, in his examination
of Lone Wolf.
Lone VOLTS story.
The Indian told the stoy in his own
words.
7 had some money from the sale of
lands" explained Lone Wolf, who
consulted a memorandum. But
can't just say that this was a loan. /
had written Warden Botxin to take
this money, to use it or loan it out.
He didn't answer my letter. l wrote
to him again. He paid no attention.
Then I saw him in the yard. He said.
You will be out of here soon and
maybe you wouldn't be able to get the
money when you wanted it Then 1
told him, You take it He said, No,
don't want to do that Again, 1
saw him and insisted on his taking the
money He finally said he would use
$3.50 of it and asked me to come into
the office and he would give me his
note l told him to make the note for
per cent. He said. No, l won't take
you the legal rate I really feel L was
responsible for his taking the money"
Were you paroled before the note
was due?" asked Edwin Mckeever,
NO. Probably a month later"
WAS the note paid before you left
the prison."
Yes; as soon as 1 was to leave. He
paid me right away"
There was no material cross exam
ination by the counsel for Warden
Botllin.
Major w. L, Gronjaw) Brown,
Democrat, and chairman of the prison
board until July I, was on the stand
most of the morning. Brown ad-
mitted there was factional strife
among employees. He said he did
not think any employee had been dis
charged for purely political reasons.
Several discharged employees ap-
pealed to the board. FL were given
hearings. A few were reinstated. y.
3. Jones, who filed the charges
q ga inst Botllin, never sought relief
before the board
BotI<in Qucered the Deal.
Brown was asked concerning BOT
kin's interest in a patent right owned
by convict named McGinnis- He
said he had heard that several Off
cefS were interested in dispOSing of
the patert and had financed the pro
iect Il understood that Bot!lin
'queered' the deal because sufficient
provision was not maze for McGfn-
MIS- said Brown
Then Brown told of the escape of
Clifford, how he had been ia ken to
Kansas City by Botkin to look up an
ina ginary bank account end forgot to
come back. Brown also told how Gov !
crnor Hodges and the prison board
had been deceived and gave Clifford !
a temporary parole on promise that |
he would pay some bills amounting
to $4,000 Clifford violated his pa
role two days after he left prison, |
the witness said.
There WAS also the case of J. C.. !
StaInacker, who was permitted to SO !
to Virginia to see his diving mother i