The Placer herald., 1859-06-04

Prison, that there was no account OF sales,
purchases, and expenditures; which they at
tribute sometimes to negligence and again
to ignorance, but endeavor to leave the i'm
preston upon the public mind that this
state of facts very greatly assists villiany
and fraud.
The Senate Committee it appears paid
some attention to this charge, and they say:
"The number and character of the books
kept at the Prison will be ascertained by re-
ference to the testimony of Messrs. Bristol
and Clark, which shows that Register of
Prisoners, containing date of reception, name,
nativity, crime, term of sentence, County
sent from, age, occupation, description of
person, whether for the first, second or third
time sent, the date Of each escape, the date
of each return of escaped convicts, the date
Of all pardons, and by whom pardoned, the
date of discharge Of each prisoner who serv.
ed out the term Of the sentence, the date of
leaving of those taken out on habeas corpus,
and other orders of the Courts, and the date
of death of those deceased whilst under
confinement, which is kept in duplicate; also,
Daily journal, which shows the number Of
prisoners at the close Of each day; also, the
number of United States prisoners, the num-
Der received, number discharged, number
escaped, number in close confinement, num-
Der sick, number punished, and the names
of each; and all other matters Immediately
connected with the prisoners; also, a book
containing record of prisoners discharged,
giving full particulars; also book containing
list of escapes, with full particulars; an In
voice book, showing all articles purchased
for use or consumption at the Prison, and
the prices paid for each article.
And here it may be stated that the Com
mittee compared the entries in this book
with the vouchers, from the lst of May, 1858,
to the last of April, 1859, and found them
correc: in every particular
A General Led ger, a Brick shipment book,
a book in which reports of labor done, and
manufactures, are entered; a Commissary-
book, two Cash-books; Requistion book,
Contribution book, two Wood receipt
books book in which is made the entries
of clothing issued to prisoners, Register Of
Visitors. Rcceipt,book Of supplies received,
and several other books, containing, in all,
complete record of every transaction worthy
vi OCIuS iCiHCihoO'CN, W VI 'HtCiVot" W VIC
State or its citizens"
Those gentlemen either did not discharge
their duty as Committee men, or they wilful-
ly falsified the statement in reference to the
want of proper records of the transactions
of the prson--wlich horn of the dilemma
will you take Messrs. Hines Tully and Las
peyre!
Of some twenty affilavils taken by the
Senate Committee in San Francisco, we give
the following specimen as showing how the
agents at the prison did the business.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
City and County of San Francisco
Edward Durkin, being first duly sworn,
deposeh and saith:
II reside in the city OF San Francisco, do
business at number titiy-nine Clay street;
am of the firm OF Tully a. Durkin, produce
merchants.
Q-llave you had business transactions
with any of the State Prison agents dnrinc
the past twelve months, and if SO. with
whom!
Al have, with Governor Walknp and
Gen. Harrison.
Q.-S;ate whether YOU have been paid, in
fall, for all articles purchased 10y them from
your house, whether You gave vouchers when
paid, and any o:her facts connected with
the business relations of your house and said
agents?
Awe have been paid, in full, for all
purchases made 10y them at our house; we
have always executed vouchers TO them for
all articles sold them; and for all moneys re-
ceived from them; we have, in no instance.
given receipts TO them for more money than
they paid us, or given any commissions 10
obtain their trade; we sold to them cheaper
than to any other customers, because they
were regular casl, customers, and always in.
sisted upon buying at The lowest possible
figure, in order to economize; the articles we
sold them, consisting of potatoes, barley, etc,
were of the very best quality; in one in
stance, | remember Walkup and Harrison
came to purchase barley, and put mine
down as low as could afford, but they found.
at another place, chance lot twenty cents
cheaper in the ton, and lost the sale of
mine. EDWARD DUNKIN.
Sworn and subscribed before me, this 5th
day of May, 1859. J. BERRY.
Chairman Senate Special Committee.
we have not space to refer as particularly
to the evidence reported. but commend the
reader to peruse the following affidavit of DR..
Ialaferro, al gentleman whose truth and
high sense of justice, none with whom he
has had personal acquaintance, will ever
think OF questioning. The Doctor served
term in the Senate, and two or more sessions
in the Assembly:
Alfred w. Taliaferro, upon being duly
sworn, deposes and says:
81 am Resident Physician of the State
Prison; have been such since the first of last