The Fremont County record., 1883-06-16
THE REPORT.

Inc most slEnlncant pOTtion Ol inc re-
port of the penitentiary investigating COM
mittee is the following: Your commit
tee, having no specific charge, or charges,
against any particular officer or administra-
ton, upon which to work, have therefore
been obliged to inquire into various ru-
mors of extravaganza, misru1e and mis-
management which had found lodgment in
the public mind"
Is it not little strange that all this
hub-bub about investigating the peni-
teniary-two investigations, at an expense
of over eight thousand dollars, newspaper
attacks upon the officials and all that
should have been brought about without a
specific charge against one of the prison
officials? 1t is strong illustration of the
power for evil possessed by cranks, either
individuals or newspapers. There is no
public institution in the land free from
suspicion of all people There are some
people SO constituted that they are nat
urally suspicious of everything, and every
body-in their eyes--is dishonest, and pub
lie officials are their especial delight, but is
it not strange that sensible people should
give heed to vague rumors" evolved from
the suspicious and dishonest imaginations
of cranks, and to a newspaper destitute of
all regard for truth or decency.
For weeks the Denver News was calling
for an investigation, and filling its columns
with vile abuse and nasty insinuations
against the prison officials. The investi-
eating committee it demanded was APP
pointed, and said committee was in session
seventy-two days, giving, as they say,
every opportunity to everybody to tell all
they knew or had ever heard, and they
report the result to have been that not a
specific charge was made against II single
officer of the penitentiary, but us they say,
numerous persons were put upon the wit
ness stand and examined by the committee
relative to all they ever knew, heard or
imagined, concerning the management and
workings of the institution many OF such
witnesses, when put under oath, convent
emily forgot oil they ever proiessed to have
known about the institution, or went en-
tirely back on statements they had made
concerning 1t when not under oath, and
many of those seemingly willing to stig-
matize certain acts of certain officers were
able to give only mass of rumor and
hearsay stuff, which is absolutely worth
less either to the committee or to the state ?"
1t was upon such mass of rumor and
absolutely worthless heresay stuff that the
investigation was instituted.
If the News made its TRADE of abuse
uPo" s"nh stuf- it pniltv of doing
what no decent newspaper would be guilty
of. If it had any substantial cause for its
TRADE, it failed in its duty in not bringing
the matters before the committee.
One or the other of the above PROPOSE
ton must be true, and in either event the
News is in an unenviable position.
1t became the mouthpiece of set of ire
sponsible men, actuated by personal spite,
or having political grievances, and making
their course its own, has slandered the
officers of the penitentiary without stint,
and burdened the tax payers with a useless
and altogether unnecessary expense of
$1,000, more or less.
There has never been any cause for in
vestigating the penitentiary. The refer
ence in the report of the committee upon
the bookkeeping at the institution is mis-
leading, and does not convey correct i'm
preston to the public mind. The ac-
counts have been correctly kept, and they
were found to be correct by the committee.
1t is true that up to December, $780, that
some auxiliary books were not kept that
should be in q public institution for conve-
nience in investigating its affairs, or for the
convenience of its officers in making up
their reports; but those books do not figure
in determining the honesty of the
officers. The invoices of expenses COM
pared with the books, and the vouchers
drawn therefor, and the account of cash
receipts are sufficient to determine that
matter.
Every invoice, the books, vouchers and
cash account, since the spring of 1877, at
least, was at hand for the examination of
the committee, and they were examined
and found to be correct.
The books, accounts and papers kept at
the institution since December, 1880, as de-
tailed in said report, are as follows: Com
missioners' book, in which is kept the
record of their roceedings-including
an account of bills audited and all vouchers
drawn, to whom, what for and what
journal, day book, time
book, distribution book, labor report, store
house book, conyicts' private ledger and
journal, convicts' record, vouchers in dupli-
cate, original vouchers with itemized bill
which goes to the state auditors
office, and duplicate voucher, with itemized
bill attached, which is kept on file at the
and petty cash receipts and
expenses.
Mr.. Samuel Milton, the committees ex-
pert bookkeeper said that the said system,
with two or three additions, would be per-
feet; the additions he suggested were
as follows: A book in which to enter
trial balances, a book containing
printed forms of requisitions for stores from
the store room, and some printed blanks
for guards to report to bookkeeper sales of
rock, lime, etc, each day. While for perma-
nence of record book for trial balances
would be well, yet it would add nothing to
the system as practical, for trial balances
were made every month from December
l, 1880, and those balances were on file at
the penitentiary, subject to examination by
said committee. As to the printed blanks
for acquisitions and reports it would only
be doing with printed matter what has
been practiced with written matter, so it
will be seen that the books, according to
Mr.. Millions statement, must have been
pretty near perfect since December 1, 1880.
Yet the report is so unfortunately or bung-
lingly worded that the general impression
gathered from it is that there was "A terri
BILE lack of system of accounts at the pen
itentiary. Such is not the fact.
Look For Yourself
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