The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1882-10-14
PRISON COMMISSIONERS.
The Second Set in the Investi-
CATION into Affairs.
HOW ARE The MIGHTY FALLEN !
Gross Fraud in the Expenditure
OF the $50. 900 ApprOpria-
ton MT. Alexander
Removed,

And Jonah went out of the city, and
made him booth, and sat under it in
the shadow. and the Lord prepared a
gourd that it might be a shadow over
his head, of which Jonah was exceeding
glad.
And it came to pass, when the sun did
arise, that Sod prepared vehement east
wind; and the sun beat upon the head of
Jonah, that he tainted, and wished in
himself to die, and said, 1t is better for
me to die thar to live.
Book OTTOMAN. revised.
Readers of the SENTINEL will
doubtless remember that early
last spring series of articles ap-
peared in these columns, calling
the attention of the people of the
Territory to the fact that there
was something wrong with the
Territorial prison management.
Just what was the trouble we
could not at that time make pub
lie. Had it been more clearly
specified then the records and
papers could have been doctored
to suit the emergency. This
week the thing was brought to a
focus, by the adoption of Com
missioner Franks resolution in
regard to looking into the dispo-
sition of the $4,000 appropria-
tion. It appears that this money
has been in the hands of con-
struction committee, composed
of Messrs. Neahr and Buffum,
and the Secretary of the Board,
under whose direction it has
been expended. Who appointed
this construction committee is a
profound mystery, as no record
of it is to be found in the minutes
of the Board. The expenditures
from this fund have never been
brought to the notice of the
Board, as such, but have all been
made by this com mittee; and
hence the resolution by Mr..
Frank that the doings of the
committee be examined.
On Monday morning, when
the Board met to begin the ex-
animation, there were two vacant
chairs-Messrs. Alexander and
Neahr. Their presence was par
ticularly desirable, from the
fact that one made the purchases
and the other received the goods.
The only thing the Board had to
work with was lot of vouchers
jn the shape of receipted bills
for lumber, lime, cement, iron,
ETC., and these they proceeded to
examine and verify. In every
part of the investigation evi,
dences of the grossest fraud were
found. We will give one in
stance which will serve as an in
dex Of the rest. On one bill is an
item of $4,000 feet of lumber
from Perry, Woodwork & Co.,
OF Los Angeles, charged for at
the rate of $50 per 1000 feet. The
market price of lumber at the
time this purchase was made
was about S27, and there is no
record that there was received at
the prison over three carloads of |
lumber, something less than 25,-
900 fee. This firm of Perry. |
Wood worth & Co. figure in |
very questionable manner in all |
of these bills. In one place they |
have charged 10 per cent. COM |
mission for making a large cash
purchase, not allowing the usual
per cent. off for cash, thus max
ing from thirteen to fifteen per
cent. commission.
Corruption was found in every
thing connected with the affair.
AS far as they proceeded, nearly
every bill showed overcharges
and manipulation" and indi-