The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-23
TELEGRAPE.HEIIC, .HEII
Unparalleled Rottenuess in
the Joliet Penitentiary
Management.
Read the Developments in
Detail.

SPRINGFIELD, I'LL, Jan, 2l.-The Peni-
tentiary imbroglio is assuming a scope that
the most suspicious did not suspect. The
full Board of Commissioners and ChapIain
were in the lobby to-day, and gained a
temporary victory this morning on the
ground of courtesy to the Senate Commit
tee, which has made an investigation. Its
chairman, Henry, yesterday argued for
continuance, because the Senate had not
allowed the Committee to print its report.
that it might be more critically examined,
The argument prevailed, and this morning
the Opposition consented, through Palmer.
that proceedings should be stayed till the
report had been printed and considered.
Then the adoption of the House resolution
calling for further investigation will be
urged 1t is hardly probable that com
promise can be effected without the
DIsCAHRGE OF WARDEN wHAM
Assistants Hall and Sleeper, and dentist.
Mason. The circumstances connected with
the death of the convict Williams will be
but one OF the subjects for investigation.
The Commissioners cannot understand why
Wham wants
MORE INVESTIGATION,
and his enemies threaten that, if there
shall be closer scrutiny into the affairs of
the institution, they will expose an alleged
purchase OF piano by Wham with the
States money, and tell how, at the COM
mand of the Governor, he borrowed money
to supply the deficiency A high official
gave security to the lender The friends
of the Commissioners in the Senate de-
mand the removal of Wham, and the
friends of justice demand that Hall, Sleep
er, and Mason be discharged.
1t is whispered that if the Joint Com
mittee is composed Of good men they will
be able to unearth some transactions involv-
ing high political standing. Members are
talking about certain car company, organ
lied when the new administration took
charge of the prison, its object being to
build railroad cars by convict labor AS
rumor has it, some $4,000 was spent fit
ting up shops and machinery, and con
tract made for the labor of large number
of convicts When the panic came the
enterprise failed, and it is stated that the
car company was allowed to slip out of its
contract and evade its obligations Should
this car company contract be investigated,
among the
WITNESSES TO BE SUMMONED
will be Gov. Beveridge, Warden Wham,
e9-Warden Edwards, E; NJ. Haines, Of
Chicago, NJ. b. Brown, of Chicago, Speak
! er Cullom, Commissioner Balm, ex-Com-
missioner Rowell, Mr.. Rosenfeld, of Rock
Island, Sam Jones, Charles Beecher, Frank
Tracy, R. ID. Lawrence, of Springfield, and
probably many more.
The lobby of the Senate has not beer
honored by so many weighty personages al
the same time for many a day. Steel, Par
son, and Brown, the Railroad Commission
ers, and Balm, Canicius, and Southworth
the Penitentiary Commissioners, with Cha
plain Briscoe, having been in constant at
tendance since yesterday morning. They
say they are all accidentally here havine
come to attend the Governors reception
but man up a tree thinks they are inter
ested in defeating the movement to abol
ish State Boards, and the man is probabl,
right,
SPRINGFIELD, Jan. 2l.-Investigatiol
this evening has revealed more connect
ed history of the Illinois Car Company thai
was contained of the previous dispatches
The following is narrated by gentleman
s who has had pecuniary motives for inquir.
into the history of the Company and its op
= erations.
1t seems that in December. 1872 S. NJ
Haines, of Lake County: Charles III. Beech
= er, of Springfield, and Morris Rosenfeld
of Rock Island, made a contract with tn
Penitentiary Commissioners for the labo
of large number of convicts, to be EN-
|. ployed in making cars. When the contrac
, was in their possession, they took out art
cles of incorporation and organized then
$. selves into the Illinois Car Company. wit
an announced capital of 100000. OF TIL
amount Rosenfeld was supposed to hol
: one half, and Haines and Beecher ont
fourth each, Haines, Rosenfeld and Beecl
er owned the contract, and the Illinois Ca
Company consisting of the same Haine
the same Rosenfeld, and the same Beect
er claimed to have 100000 capital The
contract to the latter for 500, 600 they sol
'R to themselves in the
RECOGNIZED CREDIT MOBTLIER FAsHTO,
In this way they converted the contra,
| into capital stock, which had the advantae
u of being all paid up. and relieved the stocl
holders of being personally liable und'
the law. The next move was to locate tt
stock, selling portion and putting the r
? mainder where it would do the most goo
la Cakes Ames. Among the stockhol
ers were ex-Warden Reid, ex-Commissio
er Sam Jones, Frank Tracv and r.
Lawrence, of Springfeld,a man in Indian
another in Cincinnati, besides other
Beecher was elected President of the Cor
pany, Rosenfeld Secretary, Haines Trea
urer, Lawrence Superintendent. 1t is st
I ted that part of the stock was assigned
! a Penitentiary official, through whom tn
HOPED TO MANAGE AFFAIRS
inside the Prison They erected buildin
AZ. Donito,,4in,r csro,,r,Ac ntta1h;