The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-05
Escaped Convict and Asylum
Inmate Lived Together.
They Became Attached to Each
Other in Iowa Hospital.
WOMAN TELLS SAD STORY
She Says Her Husband Had
Her Sent to an Asylum.
Man GrOans in Jail as He
Listens to WOman's SObs.

A man who escaped from the Fort
Madison, Ia, penitentiary and wo-
man who escaped from the state hos
pital at Mount Pleasant, Ia, are in
custody of Topeka police today. They
were found living together at 113 East
Fourth street. according to the Off
GERS.
The story they told the police is
rather sadly romantic. The man
William Cole-was sentenced to the
Fort Madison prison on November 80,
1917. to serve a term for larceny. He
was made a trusty. and eventually sent
up to the state hospital at Mount
Pleasant to work. Here he met Mrs.
Fred Jones. an inmate of the asylum
and a frail little woman who was
practically a nervous wreck.
Decided TO Run Away.
After time, the couple planned to
run away They made good their es-
cape on September 3. 1918, and spent
a few months on farm in Illinois,
according to their stories. Next they
vent to Atchison. where they lived
the balance of the year, coming to To-
peka about the first of January.
Cole said he hauled coal for the Tul-
loch Coal company short time and
has lately been working for the Road
Metal Supply company Fifteenth and
Madison streets.
Friday Detectives George Frost and
Ed hanson received information that
East Fourth street. They looked up
their records, finding a picture of
Cole with the information that he
had escaped from Fort Madison.
About ; l o'clock Friday night. Frost,
Ransom and Sergt. Hiram Sturmn
placed the couple under arrest and
brought them to the station.
Sent to Asylum by Husband.
Mrs. Jones is a frail little woman,
about 27 years old. Last night and
this morning when officers attempted
TO talk with her. she would burst into
tears. but they succeeded in getting
part of her story. She said that her
husband had contrived to get her COM
mitted to the asylum at Mount Pleas
ant three years ago; that she has a
small child being taken care of by a
family in Des Moines and that her ia
ther and mother live in Missouri. She
declared that she had been abused un-
mercifulIy at the asylum and that she
would be willing to do anything rather
than go back.
Tears came into Coles eyes this
ntUrning when he talked of little Mrs.
Jones. He declared the inmates of
the asylum were brutally treated and
came troublesome or displeased the
attrnCants. were given sick hypoder-
mics" which made them sick and put
them TO S.eep.
Colo Adds TO Story.
They were simply killing her with
them things" Cole declared. Il
worked at that place a long time and
every day they carried out dead bodies.
If yOull look at her arms and limbs
you'll find the marks all over them
where she was given those hypoder-
mics" Mrs. Jones declared she had
been beaten and whipped at the
asylum.
Mrs. Jones appears to be a nervous
wreck and would give way to a spasm
of weeping this morning upon the
slightest prOvocation.
Il thought I'd been hearing her
crying up there all morning" groaned
Cole, looking out from between the
bars of his cell. IF l could see her
just one minute 1 could stop it," The
officers then promised to bring her
down.
1t is undecided what action will be
taken with the couple. 1t was agreed
that a physician would be called, how
ever. to attend Mrs. Jones. Cole said
she had had an attack of the flu since
coming to Topeka and was confined sin
a hospital for some time.