The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-07
Barney McMann, Topeka, Was
Eighth Wonder of World.
Went to "Pen" Claiming He
Drank ~ Quarts Beer One Day.
.BUT-AND HERE LIES THE tale
Barney 'Fesses Up That He
Didn't Do Amy Such Thing.
As a Result He May Be ParOled
From State Prison.

After sitting in a cell at the state
penitentiary and thinking it over for
eighteen months Barney McMann has
come to the conclusion that he grossly
misrepresented his appetite and ca
pacity for beer and whisky when he
had his last conversation with the
court and county attorney of Shawnee
county.
Barney went to the penitentiary for
a term of from one to seven years be-
cause he maintained that he drank
seVenty-two quarts of hot beer one aft
ernoon and evening and that two days
later, at one sitting, he drank forty
eight half pints of whisky. Briefly.
Barney went to the penitentiary for
perjury.
AS a result of his deep thinking at
the penitentiary it is likely that he will
be paroled. He wrote to w. E. Atchl-
son, county attorney, confessing his
misrepresentation. and Mr.. Atchison
today wrote to Governor Arthur Cap
per. recommending parole under the
usual conditions.
Barney's trouble began when he was
brought into the county attorneys Of
flee on an inquisition. Officials had
discovered that he had received sew
enty-two quarts of beer in one ship
ment one Saturday at noon and that
ceived a shipment OF forty-eight half
pints of whisky. The officials wanted
to know for whom he was ordering so
much liquor. They did not charge
him with selling. They wanted to
know only who was really buying the
til County Attorney Atchison received
a letter from McMann yesterday.
He just Drank 1t All.
'Pll tell you how that was" said
McMann when he was brought in for
inquisition, 81 got that beer Saturday
afternoon and took it down on the
river bank near the sand-dip. / just
sat down there and drank all of it that
afternoon and evening"
IF that's the case what did you do
with the bottles?" was asked.
why, you see," said Barney, when
emptied a bottle 1 just naturally
throwed it in the river. That's the
When the inquisitors reached the
whisky shipment Barney had the same
sort of a story to tell. He said he
ngain located himself convenient to
the sand-dip and proceeded to absorb
one half-pint after another until the
case of -forty-eight had been emptied
THE county attorneys force was con-
nd ents Barney wasn't telling the truth
so they charged him with perjury and
tried him6a ION that charge. He was
EOnFlCtoQ D6IOTe Judge A W. Dana
and sentenced to a term of from one
to seven years. After sentence had
been passed Barney was taken in hand
by County Attorney Atchison.
Barney Stood Pat.
Now Barney, listen to me- said the
county attorney, Il know and you
know you didn't drink all that liquor
You still have a chance to keep out of
the penitentiary by telling me the
truth. Now whom did you order that
liquor for"
Barney, with the penitentiary star
ing him in the face, stood pat. He
stood pat for eighteen months. Then
Sheriff Kiene visited the penitentiary
and Barney happened to see him. He
became homesick. He wanted to come
back. And he sat himself down and
penned a letter to County Attorney
Atchison telling all he had declined to
tell before.
He declares in his letter that he did
drink some of the liquor but that he
really ordered it for Newt Thompson
and Hank Shaffer, the latter now
deceased.
Barney is the man who in all seri-
business told Sheriff Kiene over at the
penitentiary last week to tell County
Attorney Atchison that he had quit
drinking