Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-06-19
TIE PRISON INVESTIGATION.
The Proceedings Resumed Yesterday -
Clerk ]. V. Ellis on the stand-Expla-
nation of Some Of the Specifications.

Clerk ]. v. Ellis on the Stand-Expla
nation of Some of the Specifications.
The State Prison Directors investigation
was resumed yesterday at 10 A NJ. befor
Governor Stoneman and Judge Wallace, 2
X. Stockton Secretary. The attorneys wer
all present, as were also Directors Chapman
and Nef.
j. V. Ellis, Clerk Of the San Quentin
Prison, resumed the witness stand. Colone
Flournoy, of counsel for the People, con
Quoted the examination. TIE defense refuse,
to cross examine on anY of the specification
until the prosecution had completed the di
rect examination.
Specification first under the charge allege.
that the sum Of SIS l23 IS, exhibited in tn,
tsbulated statement of the Clerk of th.
prison to Governor Perkins as credited tC
prison improvements aud general expense
was false snd fraudulent, aud was so known
to be By the Directors.
The witness, in answer Co questions, gave {
general statement of the items ia the account:
as given 10 the report TO Governor Perkin:
for the months Of July and August of the
fiscal year 1881, giving the list of the prison.
ers discharged and other miner details. There
were no charges to prison improvements in
these two monthF, but Gu arriving at the
month Of September it was found that S19
704 y had been charged to improvements
The examination then took wide rsuge ovsl
the expenditures Of the pIiser, snd the re
| mainder OF the f0Eenson was taken up 10 en-
deavoring to fad eut what was "genera
expense" and what was "prison improve
ment." Witness stated that portion Of
some of the bills which were entered IS one
item might have been, had they been segre
gated, charged to maintenance account, such
as blankets, ammunition, ETC. With assist.
aucs it would take three weeks to aggregate
the general expense and prison improvement,
as the vouchers would all have to be exam.
ined.
After Colonel Flouruoy had asked num-
Der Of questions without obtaining much in
formation, Mr.. Darwin, of counsel for the
defense, objected to the examination in that
direction, claiming that the accusation was
that the charge Of SS8 l2S 50 to general ex.
pense and prison improvement was false and
fraudulent, snd whether it was general ex-
pense or prison improvement was quite i'm
material.
There was no ruling ON the objection, aud
witness in answer to questions stated that
there was not, for prison improvements
proper, separate account. There YVES q
prisoners maintenance account kept, but wit
ness could not say that everything that was
expended for that purpose had found its way
into that account
Gir. Darwin again interposed an objection,
and Judge Wallace ruled that the progecu.
ton had a right to determine how the books
were kept and what were embraced in the
various accounts. Counsel then asked, IT
it shall appear that il the prison improve.
mert and general expense account I'll ere is
clothing, shoss, fusl, drugs and medicines
and stationery, do they properly belong to
that account ~ The question was asked by
counsel and read by the reporter about
dozan times. The answers were, 81 think
tbs entries were made correctly :" swell, [
don't say they were entered in that way "
Il wouldn't swear to any of those printed
reports ;" There may have been some en-
tered in that way" etc. Counsel did not
succeed in getting direct answer, and after
asking few moro questions without accom-
plishing what appeared TO be an impossible
thiDg-getting direct snswer-the Commits
sion took a recess at 1915 to 1:30 p. NJ.
The witness was either badly mixed up aud
embarrassed, or else did not intend to answer
a question directly. In this connection it
may be stated that it was while sitting in the
same chair last week that the witness received
telegram announcing the death of his aged
mother.
Witness Ellis resumed the stand in the
afternoon, and the examination continued
Specifications second and third were taken up.
These charge that the Directors in their re.
port for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1880,
reported deficiency Ct S52, ,51S ii that
/ the Legislature on March 2. 1881, appropri-
ated S67,01S IA to pay deficiencies; that
the whole OF this appropriation was drawn in
q single wa1=ant, and without presenting a
single vsuefFI t6c-ssvF, that according 80
other reports of the Directors, $51, 9lS 20
was paid out on deficiency account.
leaving a balance of Sl5, 5,099 SO
wholly unaccounted for that the
balance was deposited in the Hibernia
Bank IN San francisco TO the credit of j. p
Ames, Warden. and not returned TO the State
Treasury as required by law, and that 20 re-
port yet presented to ths Governor of the
State attempted to show the disbursement or
present condition of the balance of S15 O99 50.
Witness admitted the greater portion of
the allegations, and stated that about SIC, 600
of the money WAS deposited in the Nevada
Bank, and gave no clear explanation where
ths rernsinder was.
Counsel was allowed to amend specification
third by inserting " Nevada Bank" instead
OF "Hibernia Bank"
Specification fifth was then taken up. This
alleges that Warden Ames' report for the
fiscal year 1882 shows that S55 800 IA was
the salary account for eleven months, exhib.
iting no item for June. whereas the Clerk 3
report shows that SAG. 01S 20 was expended
on salary account for the twelve months of
the iscal year 1882.
Witness explained that thera were some
seveniy-fve or eighty officers and guards at
the prison that during the month they pur-
chase supplies from the State which are
charged TO their accounts and deducted from
their salaries at the end cf the month, and
tie acusl cash paid ont is all that appears in
the cssh-boCk; that his report was entirely a
statement Of the cash, which accounted for
the apparent discrepancy between the two
amounts ss reported, and that the difference
appeared in the quarterly report to the State
Controller. It's matter of tasts whether
1t appears in the report to the Governor
or is carried over on the bUoks."
The month for which there YVES no item
appears is in Warden Ames' report, and wit.
ness was not prepared to ssy whether or not
the report as correct, and Ames could ex-
plain his own reports. Witness, however,
explained that salaries for month are usu-
ally psid cut of money on hand, about the
4th Of the succeeding month, while the
money is not usually drawn from the State
treasury until about the 20sh, and in ell pIot.
ability the salary for the frat month Of the
fiscal year was paid ia that wsy, and reported
in previous report.
Specification sixth was then reached. which
oh av0ad that 4ho uzefapa 1f III