Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-02-11
CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF 1NvEsTI
CATION ON THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

.
intosuch infnitessimal political fragments
that he will never be able to recover
himself, cas- long as the ashes of An
drew jackson remains Injured among the
Western people"!! Hon. Lot Smith,
Chs private Secretary, the State House
Commissioners, the Directors in the Nor
thern and Southern Lunatic Asylums,
and many other dignitaries, contractors,
bidders and worknen, are deeply impli-
Gated in the basest frauds, from which
they will find it next to impossible to ex-
trica'e themselves.
From the stir created in certain quar-
tiers, the lame attempts TO cast ridicule
upon the labors and investigations of the
Committee, and the denunciations heap
ed upon their devoted heads for exposing
the vile frauds upon the State govern
ment, it is evident that the guilty ones
are expecting high laW But what says
the Poet Hudibras?
NorOgue e'er felt the halter draw,
With good opinion of the law.
Below are few extracts froln the Re-
port of the Investigating Committee
Compared with the mass of corruption
brodght to light in the Report, they are
but drop in the bucket. We have
room for no more, but when the Report
shall be laid before the people, they can
read the whole, for themselves.
NEW STATE HOUSE.
HISTORY oE JOHN. PRICE, E,aLUMBERMAN.
lBY TIE COMMITTEES.
John Price, sort of factotum Of Gov.
Medill. held the post of "Lumberman
for State House Yard" All office, the
duties of which we are not able 10 define.
Personal favoritism and public pecula-
ton are exemplifsd in this mans case.
The method of rewarding those who
have done party service is novel one.
To do this, however, required the con-
currence of Gov. Medill, Hon. L. L.
Smith, the Commissioners and their clerk.
All these men helped manage the matter.
To cover up their tracks, they falsi6ed
their own records, and made official
statements that they knew we're not true.
The several amounts paid Mr.. Price
as per vouchers in the Auditor of States
Office, are given. with the dates, and to
whom paid. The first payment was as
follows:
June Ist 1851 To 60 day labor So $40 90
Travelling expenses and board 30 so
sl5J 50
Mark, this includes board and travel
ing expenses, and pays back to the first
of April, 1854. Mr.. Price. in his affi-
davil, swears that during the time for
which he drew pay as above. he was the
nurse # ''Gov. Medill for three weeks
and days" This, we believe, is
the first time in the history of Ohio, that
the Governor of the State has so marag-
ed his card so as to make the State pay
his nursing bills. This bill Commission
er Stickney approved. But again, dur
ing that time Mr.. Price was sick hiRself
ten DAYS, and for this time he was also
paid. These facts show that the Com
missioners used the States money for a
variety of useful, if not legitimate pur-
poses.
On the first day of July, 1854, Mr..
Price was paid:
Travelling expenses and board. 90
Making .-.-....-..-..........'Se2 W
Sept LIST. 1851 To CO days labor. $40 90
Travelling expenses and board. 10 90
Nakirg.. $3.50 co
This takes al the time, Sundays in
cluded, as will be seen. Up TO this time
he has been ''laboring." His services
commanded higher plice than any
other laborer had obtained on the New
State House. The next appears in a
new character, viz; as superintendent of
lumber hands, &c, in State House Yard,
at S2,25 per day, and on the first day of
November, 1854, he drew for September
and October atthat rate S117,OO. What
hands were engaged in the State House
Yard, engaged in the lumber busin ess?
Not one. The thing is all pretence for
paying pet of Gov. Medill's money
out of the Treasury. Lot L. Smith,
then Gov. MedilPs Private Secretary,
drew the money. Why did he do this?
Because Price was not in Columbus, and
had not been, during the time for which
he drew pay. Turn again to Mr.. Prices !
affidavit, and you learn the manner in
which he spent part of the time, at
least, for which Mr.. Stickney paid him
as above. SIN the fall of1854-55, 1
rode seven of the townships of this,
(Fair6eld) county over for Gov. Medill,
and the Democrat party. I spent each
fall eight-or ten days riding the county,
and great deal of time in Lawrence
This is probably the first time a man