The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-02
THE HoosIER MoB1LIER
STEALING by WHOLESALE.

STEALING BY WHOLESALE,
WHICH sEEMs TO BE THE STATE OF AFFAIRS
so FAR AS UNEARTHRD AT THE SOUTHERN
PRIsoN-sHULER, LIKE IRWIN AND MANY
OTHER SUBJECTS OF INVESTIGATION, TOO
ILL TO APPEAR-CAPTIoUs COURSE OF THE
CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE
PRIVATE HOUSE BUILT our OF THE STATE
MATERIAL AND WITH CONVICT LABOR
RICHER DEVELOPMENTS TO COME.
from Especial Correspondent OF the Sentinel
JEFFERsoNvILLE, Feb. 24-The investi-
eating committee appointed to examine into
the affairs of the State Prison South met at
the Bruner House in this city to-day. Sen
ator Johnson and Representatives Heller
and Bellows, met at 10 o. clock in the fore
moo, noon and began the examina-
acting as clerk OF the committee.
In the afternoon these gentlemen were Joined
by Representative Leeper, and!later in the
day by Senators Friedley and Howard. The
first named members of the committee had
examined three or four witnesses when Sen
ators Friedley and Howard arrived in the
room. The testimony of these men are
given below. They had every appearance
of being honorable and honest men, and
the response TO every question made
matters look more and more
damnaole to Shuler, proving the
cuHIges Llauo against the warden tEat ne
has been building houses for himself
beyond doubt. The way things
we're going did not suit the senator
from Scott, and he proceeded to inaugurate
q row, the seeming purport of which was to
break up the investigation. Previous to
this Senator Howard made some objections
to the manner in which the investiga-
ton was being conducted, but upon
statement OF facts be acuuiesced
and expressed himself as anxious to go on
any one. Mr.. Howard, it must be con-
Tossed, was seemingly none too willing to
make the Investigation, though Judging
from his course when he first came into the
committee room, to his credit be it said that
when the corruption aud
wRETcHED CONDITION OF THE PRISON FL
was shown up to the committee Senator
Howard dropped the partisan feeling for
the time being.
Senator Friedley's course does not impress
one so favorably as that of mis- colleague.
Seeing the damaging effect of the evidence
he charged that the House had appointed
Tree democrats upon its own committee,
and took exception. When it was shown
him that one of the House committee, Rep
resentative Leeper, was an independent, and
had never been democrat, the senator took
another tack, and said that Warden Shuler
SHOULD be allowed representation before
the committee either in person or by his at
torney. He held, in effect, that an official
charged with peculation, CORFU tion and the
shameful waste of the states money, should
be given the unheard of privilege of setting
some pettifogger upon the committee to
throw sand in the eyes of members and de-
feat the object of the investigation. Had
the senator lived in the time of that
spotless and much abused individual, Ju-
das Iscariot, and had both gentlemen be-
longed to the same party, let us imagine
what line of policy the senator would have
adopted had be been called upon to investi-
gate the celebrated transactions wherin the
first named individual received the thirty
pieces of silver. Should we suppose our
modern solon to have acted the same
with Mr.. 1scariot he does with
Shuler he would no doubt, have contended
in his feeble way and manner that Judas
was perfect justified in taking the swag, on
the ground that his salary was not sufficient
r. pay him for bis trouble in trsmping over
Gallilee that his sandal leather was worn
out in the service of his master, and the
state was entitled to reimburse him, and
furthermore that he had paid ont more than
the beggardly sum of 80 shekels from out
the money bag for the entertain
ment CT sheriffs and other visitors. Turn
ing upon the accusers of the innocent Judas,
the senator from Scott and Jennings,
he and his sbettors, pursuing
the same policy followed here, would
inform them that the twelve apostles with
the exception of Judasl were loafers any
how; should long ago have been taken up
under the yagrant law, while if
the evidence went particularly
strong against his fellow-partissn,
Mr.. Iscariot, he would contend with equal
vehemence, that the Galilean was the worst
OF the lot. do not wish to do the chairman
of the Senate committee the least injustice.
Whenever he shows the slightest desire or
disposition to do his duty as legislator, in
protecting the people of the state, as is his
sworn duty, from one of the most stu
pendous robberies which has come to light
in Indiana for years, he shall have the full
benefit of it. So far am sorry to say that his
actions have tended to embarrass his col
leagues by fractions opposition or sulky
silence, when the testimony would allow
of no palliation of the conduct of Shuler and
the old board OF directors. In pleasant con-
trast 10 a course like the above Is that OF
Representative Shaffer and others, who,
though republicans, did not at the first in
vestigatlon hesitate to condemn the irregu-
larities and corruption going on at
the prison, the gentlemen named telling me
publicly in the committee room that the
investigation, even if it stopped, then would
save the people at least $1,000 year. After
A LIVELY WAR OF WORDS
between Representative Heller and Senator
Friedley, Col. Keigwin, by consent, at
This point made statement that he, as one
of the directors elect, before he became a
manager of the Southern Prison, wished
the committee to make such an investiga-
ton as will exactly show the status OF the
prison. If affairs are Strengthened up now,
he was confident that In the future the
prison could, at the present price of prison
labor, be made self-sustaining. But as
sworn officer of the state, be gave his word
that he would not be doing his
duty to the people to take the
prison in its present wretched condition.
The only available assets in the world which
the prison has to its credit are the obliga-
tons OF the Southwestern Car Company due
on the 1st inst. and calling for S3,507 "A, and
a quantity of pork PIT up tor the use of
prisoners. The state will be called uron to
appropriate SIS, $50 90 to balance the deficien-
cieS in the prison accounts up to February j.