, 1876-01-19
THE ILLINOIS pEN1TENTTARY.
Tho Investigation OF the Alleged Rr-
Irregularities e9nHy5 Elrc.

The investigation OF the Alleged kr-
Irregularities s1ungs Fire.
srte,di U:spatsh to Ths Chicago tribune.
JOLIET, Jnn. 1S.--Thera was considerable un-
casinces In pcnatcntIary circles this morning.
OAo Of tito Commissioners whs especially per-
turbod In raforcnco 10 tho investigation Of yes
to-day into the charges against the Purchasing
AGcut. lilo was greatly displeased that
rnE Tn1nuaE reporter : had failed 10
crafty tho curiosity Of tho Board. md
hts language upon tho subIoct was moro
forci!'o than elegant. 1Io Hall that lo did not
belIoro any Of tho allegations against tho pur-
chaaing Agent, aud II az exceedingly noisy In ha
condemnation OF everybody lic could conncct
with tho ,chargca especially the reporter. lIo
thought that 1t was not enough for tito
reporter to bo Hatiatlod uB to tho truth
faiucss Of tho charges but 1t wa1 hla duty
to gatisfy tho Board In Tho matter, whlo nt
tho samo time Lo ,nppenrod 10 understand
ttAt hn Ind RcceEs to the Banu Hotrccs Of tnfor-
nation shat tho Reporter bad III tho particular
trnnanction. IIn WAS equally irr1tnttd agAiaHt
Mr. wilcox, OF this city, who had pcrcrnptorily
refused to tcatify before tie board In the mat
ter. and had given hls ren:oua therefor,
Later 10 tho day, however, wtcn tho coyttf.
catcs Of Baker aud Wilcox wcro sccn in THE
Tn1nuSE, ho waB not ncat so violent townttl tho
1oportor, and htH language was much modified.
1lo then eafd that tio waB
ANXIOUS 70 eET AT TIE BOTTOM
oftln vlolu affair, and would spare ,atna to do
1t. The Warden Of theinstitutiot had very much
tho Hamo feeling, 1t WAS asrcrtained. Al least
llo expressed q dcsiro to fnlly Investigate THO
conduct OF tho purciasi,.g Agent not only 10
tho case III question. hut in his official rclatons,
rcterating what he hal bnforo said, that II tho
ngcnt WAS Eu!l:v Of anything wrong Lo would
discllargo him inBtnnter.
up tn roon no further Rtcps had been taken its
tho investigation. and the Board lad not CON-
vcnci, W.lcn tho matter will bn ngaiu taken IN
had not been decided Ut that hour. That the
question will bo .,-
AoA1s 7Arrx rr. ''''
f,oUorcr. sccms evident. The sreciac allegation
that tho Stato paid 10 cortB bi,Bhol as profit
to aonlo ono on tho purchase Of l3a bushels of
rolatocs. and that person not tho ono from
whom thoy,, were. bought, barring been
il would accm to require it. Mr.. Wilcox Gays
tho percentage was paid to him nnd ie paid 1t 10
tho Purchasing Agent. Wllotl,cr this bo 80 or
Wo s Nona 1s ' a9 , s sa ba saS ~ it
Agnnt wns ut least c,imtnafly negligent In the
mattor, II not Biarct in what tho State lost In
the transaction. This is fair deduction TINT
tho Board can scarcely nftotd to overlook what
evcr 1nay bs its friendship for the acol,sed.
sit. WILCOX
etatcd to your correspondent that tho reason he
retuHsd to testify ID tho lnhstcr wns: First, l,o
did not want to have n'y connection wish tic
tho caae nEninBt hia will. simply by stating to
friends ccrtain tilinga which hal bccn repeated
second, that, when he testified under oath, lie
Wautcd to bo In the presence Of all impartial
authorities to be- under tho circumstances. Ito
sad further, that hn had no nto1est wllntayer in
tho matter. but such, factH nH were III !liH
possession ilo waa ready md willing 1T my tiluo
10 lay beloso court Of Justice.
MI. HAMILTON. .
tho Purchasing Agent, den'eB In toto thnt he bne
foceiy1l luy CO onliniesionH OIL purchases, aud, In
retoronoo to this particular tianHncion, pub