The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-09
MALFEAsANCE IN OFFICE.

MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE.
,..,oprrv oF THE sUB-CoMMITTEE on
rry-ox SOUTH PoRr-sEARcHING RE-
--rxv or THE TESTIMONY TAREN-RECoM-
~veND THAT THERE BE CHANGE OF
MANAGEMENT-
rr,,a ioint subcommittee appointed to take
4esfi1ony in tie matter of grave charges, al
,fecting the management of the affairs OF
the state Prison South, has prepared the
following report:
rf PRESIDENT: The majority OF the JOINT suO-
committee appointed TO investigate the amalts rs
of the Indiana state Prison, south, beg leave 10
went 10 Jefersonyile on theIzth ut, s,ttr ana %
m tbs ,,yis6yi which was found 10 be ordinarily
good but there is room for improvement III s sno
discipline and sanitary snd a5ent the grounds
and wards than could De rom necesst1y ~ , ,,s,,aI
NAV part at least be attrDute&6 "a so
The next and succeeding day upul noon w, w
devoted TO the examination OF the waIoeh
1orcSars but without concluding this part OF
the investigation the committee was e1inpelSn sI,
oirtee composed of Messrs. Heller Bellows
and Ieeper of the House of RePresentatlN es anu ,
Messrs. Friedley, johnson and dewa @ u, oi ti ene
lion and returned TO Jeffersonville on the z4tn
ult and from that time until the Su llss,i & az S
most assiduOusly at work. All or the DooAs vi
the prison and about fifty witnesses were exam exam
ined and while the time when Goq1 1o Enable The
comrnittee to complete the investlgallOn' ot
make it thorough as could 1e 6esreu' Ief Sgs
nrence TO the condition of the af-
fairs of the prison were obtained I'm some
Instances through the evident dlSposltlon Ot
witnesses not TO reveal the whole truth rnuch
delay was oecasioned, and more WitnesIes i Mite
Teouired to be summoned than would other~lse
have been necessary. This was particularly 80
with some of the officers and empIoyesS IS OF & Lle
.director, a. NJ. Luke, deputy warden anu pat
rick Maloney guard. II Is aIa..ga a VI coi sb,I-
Ter could not be obtained, he being too III to come
before the committee, but with an tne Hlss1.t-
vanfques with which it mad TO contend, lne IA
bors ~ the committee were successful in dlscoV-
ering frauds and peeulatiOns useless was es so, OF
eEf1 none an9 o9 the state. Tis has continued
fbToughout the administration Of the present
warden put n tha5 a5s revi6usiY They have not
been confined to the warden, but nave Deen par
ficipeted in BIZ directors, warden, deputy war
den, moral instructor and otneIs' a. S WI % De
more particularly shown hereafter. aOuI 4i, coti,
mittee reports herewith, the oral teslhohg on
faken which, together with the vouchers ana
books of the prison are the basis OF the concIu-
so1s 1t IT. has a eieip Sources of the informa-
fion ohtsined and certainly must be considered
good evidence ag4ns' o tbem 1n1Se oI lawrence
Shutter became warden January l, Ioo5 anu
his first official act was
AN UNAUTHORIZED EXPENDITURE OF THE
STATES MONEY.
Onthe SIst of December, 1865, ore day before he
became warden he drew on the state treasurer
in favor of Hall, Sample Co. for g S5 Os, to pay
for certain extensions to their shops IN the
prison. These had been made by Hall, Sample
& Counder verbal agreement with Gel. Merrl
wether Col. Shuler's predecessor, that at the ex-
piration of their contract, which would De N
ISL or 1917 the state would pay lot tneIn et
= valuation excluding furnaces and fixtures. Col.
ShpI. 7 had 40 right to pay Tor theln Two OF
three years before the time agreed on, without
any valuation, and thereby assuming an s rlsKs
of ire wear and rear of the buildings ana losing
the use ofthat amount of money without qeduc-
ton for interest 1t Is true that ts Is
shown that it was made December 81, 1865
In February, 1853. Col ShgIer agaln drew 9a
the state treasury for 81 500 NO approprla-
ton for the use of the prison for leO9 was Inade
by the legislature until Aprls ~ dos az tne ne,
special session. These dIafts. aggregatlng g
s5,735 OS, were paid from the appropriation Tor
1875, and which hid not been needed or usea seq, oy
should have been covered into the treasury rs
not beng required for the purpose Oh It's appfo
propriated 5000 for the Of the prison for the
year 1859 and doubtless it was intended that u
Should be all which the warden should eXpeno
fom any special appropriation Tor that year
Bat Col. Shuler charges himself WIN % recelVlns
from the state treasury for that year $3.50, anc
does not in any way account for the s2,Z31 O
which was drawn in favor OF Hall, sample .
Co.. and possibly the fact that II was orSWI
without authority accounts for the other fact
that he does not account for it. The predeces
| annum TO pay for the trouble of entertaining
visitors; they were permitted to have the Ola
and slops from the prison kitchen, and the us
of the warden's house and premises Tree OF rent
These, except the house and premises were, Z
saw theJe of doubtful legality or prophet.
when it is remembered that the law governini
the prison provides that no officer shall receiv
any allowance or compensation for the service ice
except his salary fixed by law; but as 1t h ha
been a precedent of I9ng icoutlnuance, you
committee will conceed his right TO reeeiv
them without any fraudulent intent. But tn
reception OF any more than those, PI must hss =, Q
dom, without any sanction of law or pieeedsni
, Col Shuler has received for enter
four years, and 500 per anuum 70
the other two years which ne has been warden
also S2016or losses sustained. but now or whel
car not be ascertained. he has obtained sup
piles and provisions for the use OF ms famll.
and alarge numker of boardsrs from the store
be.ep ging to the state; he has used the forag
oftle state 10 feed his horses mules cattle hog
Der aDd other DIs.eTiaIs belonging TO the state I
build houses on his ground and private account
materials: he has used the labor OF a large mum
Der. or con victs In the erection OF houses, MIN
1ponos, grading streets, alleys ana Walks olgSip
<1sterns. making fence taking n, care ad OF ~ ~
stock and as family servants; he has is had had N
> horses shod at the state biacksfa1Jh shopj
has had horse and buggy, saddle borSe &nd Car
riage and a pair of horses ftT The use OF hlmsel
Al talloE ofbeeves and sheep slaughtered for tn
use of the priLon; he has furnished M
house in
MOST MAGNIFICENT STYLE
throughout with very costly furniture, G rpets
Iambrequins, curtains an china ware: he ha
erected green house and filed 1t with the rar
est plants, flowers and exotics; he has erected &
. water fountain and deer park; supplied hin
self With costly flower vaaes and pots
{. )rn down a good and commod1ous stable
bs rn and carriage house, TO MAKE room
for his green house and improve the beauty o.
his yard and flower garden; he mas eIeeieo
stab es, barns and outhouses seven times az
larpe as the state required, in order to accom-,
moda e his own horses mules, hogs, sl'eeP Snc nc
beef nd bloOded cattle; he has rece1vs9o sI,,V..
] per am lum for three years, under g c ohtI dcl
i with thu Southwestern Car Company, &c . eIeai
away ens s 1o ~ erafor q toar ,,d An nv the = ate
driven by a. man hired by the state: ne has re-
ceived 500 Der annum for three years unde. 2
Contract witt the company for haulin z
materials from the company's lumber yard tG
the shops, using therefor mule belonging to the