The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1870-02-10

"a CORRUPTION OF MISSOURI RADICALS i
The Missouri Legislature, which is now in
session, appointed some few weeks since q
Joint committee to oinvestigate the affairs of the
State Penitentiary. After examining large
number Of witnesses, including many of the
employees, such as guards, deputy wardens and
others who were employed around the peni.
tentiary during the years 1867 and 1868, they
unearthed and brought to light a system
attic and long continued course of robbery,
swindling, and rascality of every kind, on the
part of not only the Warden and other officers
having the management of the institution, but
also OF nearly all the Radical State officers
from Governor Fletcher down to psalm sing.
ing. political parson named johnson. 9Ta-
The St. Louis Republican states that in 1868
the average number of convicts in prison was
702, and in 1869 the average was 734, and that
during the year 1869 the average number en-.
ployed at labor was only 2s5; that the def.
cheney at the end of the year 1863 was $1O5 q
year for each convict in the prison, or 81 a
week for each one, sum amply sufficient to
support each convict in idleness. .og s. j.
The evidence, which was taken down in
writing aud returned or filed with the report
of the Committee, is rather rough on some of
the Radical lights ia Missouri Gov. Fletcher,
Auditor of State Thompson, the Deputy War.
dens, and in fact every official connected with
the institution, including Methodist preacher,
who We suppose looked after the spiritual well
fare of the Convicts, obtained their beef gro-
ceries, coal oil, and in fact everything they re-
quired out of the prison stores; coal and wood
for their private dwellings, and even hay and
grain for their horses and hogs, were all pro-
cured from the penitentiary, without any &C
count being kept of it, and consequently these
individuals supported themselves and provided
for their families and friends, their horses
and their hogs, out of stores belonging to the
State, paying not a cent therefor. The evil
dence shows that when any of the officials
or their particular friends desired any work
done-such as cutting stone harvesting, dig
ging potatoes and onions, or gardening
victs were furnished for the work, under the
of guards who were paid by the
State, aud no account kept Of the work and
no pay received fer it. One man named
Thompson who, we believe, is Auditor of State,
even went so far as to procure from Swift the
Warden, number of the convicts to work for
him on his residence which he was then finish
ing or making some additions to, and the fel-
low actually had the cheek to put them at work
on the streets of Jefferson City, the State Cap
ital, he having contract of some kind, and
ther charged the city for their services in his
account, collected it and pocketed it.
All the individuals implicated in these ras-
cally aud thieving operations are Radicals, and
the Committee that made the report is COM
posed Of Radical members of a Radical Leg
islature, and from this we can form some idea
Of the character of the Radical scoundrels who
are clothed with little brief authority in Mis-
souri-carpet-baggers and scalawags. The
people of Idaho could endure o failure of wa
ter in the mines, the depredations of grass
hoppers in their Valleys, and the calamities Of
fire and food, yet they had hoped to be spared
the infiiction of the presence of carpet-baggers
IN their midst. Their hopes have been disap-
pointed, and some of the most corrupt and in
famous specimens of that peculiarly obnoxious
class have been, by Federal appointment, foist-
I'd upon the good people Of Idaho. We hope
md trust our deliverance is not far distant.
LIFE IN A FASHIONABLE HOTEL. IN WASH.