The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-04
HELD FOR KILLING.
Negro and White Face Trial for
MansIaughter.
Charged With Death of PriS-
Oner in City Jail.
TALE OF TROUBLE BEHIND BARS
Prisoners Fought at Will
Bennett Was Killed.
Inhuman Treatment OF Men
Held for Safe Keeping. -~~.

Clifford Frost, negro, and Richard
Campbell, white, will be tried on the
charge of being responsible for the
death of Ed Bennett, which occurred
in the city Jail last Saturday night.
The coroner's jury today found that
Bennett died because of the concus-
sion of his head on the cement floor
of the jail after he had been struck by
the two fellow prisoners. Warrants
will be issued by the county attorney
charging the two men with man
slaughter.
After spending parts of two days on
the case the coroner's jury brought in
the following verdict today:
Edward Bennett came to his death
by his head striking the floor of the
city Jail after having been struck on
the head by one Richard Campbell
and one Clifford Frost and the jury
do recommend that both of them be
held for trial.
Immediately following Benefits
death it was announced that it was
due to a fall from table ir the city
Jail while in an intoxicated condition.
All of the evidence introduced at the
hearing Tuesday and today was to the
effect that he did fall from the table
and strike mis- head n the floor. But
there was witness after witness who
testified that Bennett appeared to
have suffered no injury from that fall.
The testimony disclosed tactics fol-
lowed by prisoners in the city Jail. It
described the kangaroo court" Be-
fore Bennett was arrested for
drunkenness and confined in the Jail,
several other prisoners had formed a
bbelligerent prisoner was turned in.
That pact, it developed later, was re-
sponsible for Benefits death
Jennings Teased Him.
The testimony showed that when
Bennett was placed in the Jail Satur-
day night he was intoxicated, and
that he lay down on table. He
rolled off of that but arose and began
walking around the bull PEN How
ard Jennings, a negro, testified that
he teased the intoxicated man by fill
/, ing a shovel with Goals and threaten
ing to burn him with them. Bennett
became angry and attempted to fight
Jennings The latter kept him off
with the shovel.
There had been several fights in the
jail that evening before Bennett was
taken in. Richard Campbell testified
that while Bennett was following up
Jennings he, Campbell, stepped up be-
hind Bennett and struck him twice,
once on the side of the head and again
on the back. All the testimony went
to show that Bennett did not fall at
that time, althO he leaned forward.
First Struck Him.
Four or five witnesses, including
Clifford Frost, testified that at the
moment Bennett leaned forward
Frost dropped off the top of a cage
and struck Bennett a terrific blow on
the chin. Bennett went to the floor
with thud and did not rise He was
placed in a bunk by the prisoners and
left alone. Later in the night they
noted his rapid breathing and called
the attention of Ed Woodruff, night
jailer. to it. He called DR.. H L. Clark
city physician. Doctor Clark made an
examination and called Dr. Merrill
Lindsay. Before the latter arrived
Bennett was dead. Doctor Clark ex-
pressed the opinion today that Bennett
was knocked unconscious by the blow
delivered by Frost, but that it was the
striking of his head on the floor that
fractured his skull.
/ One of the prisoners testified that
after Frost struck Bennett, the for
mer turn to Campbell and said:
There, 1 put one to sleep, Jennings
has already put one out of business
and now it's your turn