The Converted Burglar and the Wire That Carried Him to Seattle

Elisha Brown, the convict who was converted at a meeting of the Salvation Army and who subsequently came into the Post-Intelligencer office and told the story of his escape from the Kansas penitentiary, will start back to his prison home this afternoon in charge of A. W. Mackie, assistant keeper. Mr. Mackie arrived in the city Wednesday night and yesterday visited Chief of Police Rogers. Brown was brought up into the chief's room, and after he had conversed a few minutes with the officer, no doubt was left about the truth of his story or his identity. Mr. Mackie then spent the remainder of the day in looking over the city and visiting Lake Washington.

In talking with a Post-Intelligencer reporter last evening about Brown's case and the probable outcome of such an extraordinary proceeding as Brown's, he said that the matter would come up before the board of directors of the prison at its next meeting, and that it was possible a recommendation might be made for executive clemency.

"This is a remarkable case," continued Mr. Mackie, "but of course there are others equal to it. For instance, City Clerk Milium of Stillwater, O. T., was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to the penitentiary. One day he arrived at our prison, and in his pocket he had his own commitment.

"Brown was not a dangerous criminal, but was looked upon as being very desperate. He served a term of one year for shooting at a man, or at least that is the case as near as I can recall it. Then he was convicted in Neosho county for burglary and larceny. On the first case he got seven years and on the second five.

"His escape was made on the evening of November 9, just as the men were marching out of the cells to supper. He ran up an electric light pole and went hand over hand about forty feet on the wire. Several shots were fired at him, but the wire swayed and it was hard to hit him. He was also very lucky in getting over the outside wall, for the guard who is stationed there had gone into the shed to get ready for supper. He reached the ground outside and made his escape in one of the wagons in the vicinity of the prison. The search was kept up three days, but Brown kept out of sight."

"Escapes do not happen often," Mr. Mackie said, "but as many as three or four attempts are made every month. To look after the 700 prisoners there are a few officers and keepers. The big wall which surrounds the ten-acre enclosure in which the cells and workshops are located is patrolled by guards armed with muskets, while the outside guards have shotguns. The guards who look after the men that work in the coal mine and stone quarry never carry arms, for fear the convicts might take them away and then use them as a means of escape. In addition to the mine and quarry there are furniture, shoe and collar factories, where prison work is done. The state repair shops also form a part of the penitentiary work system.

"As to the ages of criminals," Mr. Mackie said, "of late the men who come in are young compared with those of past years, and fully 40 per cent of the prisoners received within the last two years were convicted by the new law making criminal assault on women — rape — in all cases where the girl is under the age of consent. Women do not form a conspicuous figure in the Kansas penitentiary, as there are only seven on the rolls, one of whom is to be hanged."

When Mr. Mackie returns he will probably bring the matter of photographing criminals before the prison directors. "That is a system that has not been used at the prison," said Mr. Mackie, "but there can be no question as to its efficiency in locating criminals and also keeping criminals from the commission of crime. Chief Rogers has shown me the system used in this city, and I think it an admirable one. We have photographers at the penitentiary, so the system could be put in use with very little expense to the state of Kansas. While here I have taken great interest in the police department, and feel like saying that it is handled by a man who is thoroughly competent and understands his business."