Old Home Town – 100 years ago

From the Lawrence Daily World for March 4, 1909: “An official of the state penitentiary was here today and pointed out that Lawrence has a healthy colony of former residents at Leavenworth. Several murderers are serving life terms and all who are able are working at some trade. Mollie Stewart, sent away as an accomplice in a murder case, is getting along famously as a dressmaker in the female department and is considered one of the best workers there. A former local shoemaker imprisoned because of the murder of his wife, is repairing shoes for the other prisoners. … Gov. Stubbs has signed the cigarette bill that prevents anyone under age 21 from smoking. It is illegal for young people to smoke and illegal for anyone to sell them cigarettes. … Mrs. W.J. Coleman learned today that her uncle, his wife and daughter may have perished in the Italian earthquakes. They had been traveling there and have not been found.”