Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-23
LETTER FROM GOVERNOR
BRADLEY ON THE STATE
PRISON BUSINESS.

the following letter, reserving all COM
ments and criticisms upon its strange
tone and extraordinary admissions until
enough time shall have transpired for
an answer from Mr.. Hyman. General
Kittreh or other parties interested
and involved. remarking that
this letter of the Governors may, in all
fairness. be taken as stating the attitude
of the combination of State officers who
are the known enemies OF Mr.. Hyman,
namely: the Governor himself, the Lieu
tenant Governor and Secretary Garrard
Says his E1cellency:
ELko, New. Sept. %. 1875.
Editor E,,terprise:-Your paper of the
| 10th instant, containing an article head
| ed "Strange Proceedings at the State
Prison. copied from the Carson APPEAL,
has reached me- There are some things
in that article that will not be fully I'M
derstood by the public without some e1-
PLANTATION.
You say Governor Bradley recon-
mended Miller to Mr.. Hyman as a wor-
thy and competent person for a guard at
the Prison. and on the strength of this
Recommendation Miller was appointed.
The public would infer from this that
Mr.. Lyman had the appointment of the
Prison guards, and was doing me favor
by giving place to an applicant en- my
Recommendation. Now, under the law,
the Warden is but the servant-the Fore
man OF the Board OF State Prison Com
missioners. They appoint or discharge
him and all other employees at pleasure.
Samuel Miller, An active, intelligent
young man, applied to me for employ
ment, and, tciM tie concurrence OF General
EittrelI, he was appointed guard.
Some time after his appointment. he
came into my Office and said he wanted
private interview.
had the door closed, and called Mr..
!; Garrard, my Secretary, to hear what
Miller had to say. He told me that
Prison, he had satisfied himself that Mr..
LYMAN. the Warden. was stealing from
the State: that he had learned a good
deal, and couA. he thought, learn much
more, and asked for instruction on the
subject.
Believing, as have for a long time,
| that Lyman vas using his position to
rob the State. and having failed in many
efforts to have him removed from the
Wa,denship of the State Prison. di-
rected Miller to gain what information
he could. and report to me when present,
and to my Secretary during my absence.
Miller, as l am informed. continued
to report according to my instructions
until he was discharged by the Warden.
During the last Legislature Tin Feb
ruary. believe,) special Committee
was appointed by each house. who
formed themselves into Joint Commit
tee, to examine into the management Of
the State Prison affairs.
They took the testimony of large
number OF witnesses, and the Joint
Committee found that up to that time
"the management had been strictly hon
est and economical.
They also reported that 1.-The testi-
mony taken relating to other charges
investigated by the Committee is too
voluminous to admit Of being digested
in this report"
They therefore recommended to the
Senate "that the evidence taken and
herewith submitted be turned over to
the Board of State Prison Commission
ers, and that the same be by them printed
in pamphlet form for distribution"
The majority of the Board have ig-
n1red this INDUCTION Of the Senate, and
have positively refused to print the evil
dence. The charges referred to in the
latter part of the report above mentioned
are two:
First-That the food furnished the
prisoners was inferior in quality and de-
ficient in quantity. Second-That the
Warden, P. c. Hyman, has taken advan-
tage of the helpless condition of the
only female prisoner under his charge;
had moved her from the cell she occu-
pied when he took charge of the Prison
to his own quarters, and had kept her
as his mistress for the last eighteen
months previous to the investigation.
On the first proposition there was
much conflicting evidence.
On the second proposition there was
but little room for doubt.
Some of the ablest lawyers and clear |
est-headed jurists of the State, both on
and off the Committee of Investigation, |
have examined the subject, and believe
the Warden guilty of the charge.
Had this testimony been laid before
the people, as desired by the Senate, a
Just public ndignation would have de-
manded and forced the removal Of the
Warden long ago.
As Governor of the State, the people
expect, and have a right to expect. OF
me a close watch over the interests OF
the State.
Being powerless, as member of the
State Prison Board, to remove an officer