Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1876-02-23
Al EXPENSIVE riAsco.

Of inquiry, consisting OF the frison
Commissioners. Governor Bradley and
his clique rush ir~antically into print
with unsupported allegations. For this
purpose they employ a sheet which from
The first has been evidently their mouth
piece. aud whose utterances have plainly
been dictated from headquarters. The
bald facts OF this whole controversy are
beginning to be understood by the pub
lie. and unsupported statements Of fraud.
p~~culation. irregularities hurtfui to tn.
State. and the holder charge Of robbery
are attributed to the true motives which
inspired them. viz: malevolsncs and
jealousy. The prosecutors for we
should say persecutors) have not estab-
lished the charges upon which this in.
quest was based. Governor Bradley. In
an open letter. charged Warden Hyman
with robbing the State. The Warden
denied the charge and demanded IN
investigation. This the Board man.
inously ordered. Two experts were
appointed with instructions to "go
through" the warden's administration
and find what there was in the charges.
This they did. Both found trifline
irregularities in the bookkeeping. but
no robbery nor stealing. Both agreed
upon tho figures. but disagreed as to
conclusions. One declared his eonvie-
ton that tho management Of tho Warden
had boon honest; tho other nverred his
suspicion that all va not right. Upon
this showing the Board pursued the in
vsstigation further by calling witnesses
and permitting the wprdsn to appear
with counsel. The prosecution was also
NO represented. At this juncturo ii was
distinctly agreed by the Board that no
other matters heretofore charged against
the Warden should 10 touched upon.
Tho charge against him ives, "Usins
his position to rob the State" The ex-
psrts were appointed to investigate that
charge. Their report went to that and
that only. and the further inques,
OF the Board was to find cut whether
the conviction OF one Of them In
favor Of Lyman or tho suspicion
Of the other against him was true. Up
on this point. and this only. was testi'
mony 10y al unanimous agreement OF
the Board) to be introduced.
But the prosecution failing to establish
the charge OF robbery, 10Y seek to ap'
peal to public sympathy by digging up
matters which were adjudicated BY the
Legislature last Winter. The Board,
on the request Of Governor Bradley. al
journsd to Virginia for the purpose OF
taking moro testimony. II was in vir-
ginia on N onday last that the bad faith
Of the prosecution was manifested. In
stead OF calling witnesses TO testify as to
the honesty or dishonesty OF the War
den. an sx-convict was called and asked
II other convicts hal ever complained OF
being hungry while he was in the prison.
To this the Wardsn's counsel objected.
The question was not whether Lyman
had been starving prisoners, but wheth-
or he had been stealing from the State.
Tho question violated the agreement
at the outset Of tho investiga-
ton and opened up a subject a n
vassed and decided by a legislative CON-
mittes last Winter. II was not germano
to the subject matter Of the inquest.
Besides. the evidence sought to be put on
record BY such a question. Is in the
highest degree incompetent aud mad
missible. II would not for an instant
DO entertained In any court Of law. II
sought 10 establish q fact. by the testi.
mony OF an ex-convict. not to matters
Of his own knowledge. bat to the un.
sworn utterances Of criminals whom
the Law says are, even under oath, un.
worthy Of belief. To this question. be-
cause Of the ineompetency OF the testi-
mony sought to be elected I: because II
was in violation Of q prior agreement ;
and because II had nothing to do with
the charges sought to DO established
against Warden Hyman. his counsel OBJ
jectsd. This objection was. for the
same reasons. sustained by the majority
Of the Prison Board. whsreupon Gov
crnor Bradley and his counsel Withdrew
In high dudgcon. and yesterday. in the
editorial columns Of q contemporary.
appealed to the public. charging the ma
jority Of the Board with being biased in
their decision.
II Is too thin. The failure Of the pros
ecuiiOn to establish the charge Of steal.
ing Ia evident to any intelligent reader.
In . court OF law the cass would be dis
missed for want Of evidence. In an
United States court II would never be
given to a jury. There never was a
more lamentabls failure to convict n man
by appeals to prejudice. The public are
already convinced that the State has
been put to . large outlay for the gratia-
cation Of personal and political vindic.
t~iveness. and that il is timo to stop the
petty persecution. The little %coterie.
who . year since put mp a slate. com
posed OF about an equal number Of 10.
publicans and Democrats. which they
pledged their united influence to nomi.
nate and elect, have overreached them
selves. They were too jealous by far.
Their trump cards have been played too
early. They never were large enough
to win. Now II Gov. Bradley has any
more testimony which is germane to the
subject matter Of investigation. let him
produce it. II any other Of the
e. ring thinks he can succeed