The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-02-26
Report Of PenItsntiary COMMITTEES.

iting the laws governing the tnstitu-
on. affairs, the directors and warden,
be committee says:
This investigation has disclosed the
act that the wholesome provisions of
hese sections Of the Law have been
If not wholly, disregarded BY {
10Th the directors and warden, psrticu-
srlV in the matter of the examining and
ppFovaI OF accounts. The directors
whose duty it evidently IL to assist the | |
warden in these examinations of &C
cunts, entrusted the performance Of that
luty to the clerk of the penitentiaEY,
Mr. Pussy, and the warden, claiming
hat he relied upon the approval of the
directors, failed or neglected TO make |
Iuch examinations thereto as he should
rave made TO have duly protected the
interest of the state.
The result of such disregard of the
provisions of law and OF business pFln-
,iples has resulted in the loas at this
lime, to the state Of quite large amount
Of money, as will more fully appear
hereafter. The law contempletes that
the directors shall keep record Of their
This they have failed to
do, as will be seen By copy of the en-
tire record of one of their meetings, al
which meeting accounts to the amount
Of thousands OF dollars were approved |
by said board. This exhibit is but q
specimen Of the manner in which their
records were generally kept. During |
the summer ana fall past the financial |
of the institution appears |
to have been almost entirely surrendered |
10y the warden to the late clerk, Pussy. |
The payment of many bills, the adjust. |
ment of accounts and the preparation OF |
appears to have been entirely |
left IN his hands. The detailed state
ments of cash received and of indebted
ness incurred were sworn TO and ap-
proved by the warden as correct, with |
the most cursory and superficial exam |
nations, if examined at all. The ,ir-
regularities IN the books and papers of
the institution first began to appear in
July or August last, and previous to
that time there is no evidence that any
money was lost TO the state.
The lack Of restraint on Mr.. Pussy
and his uncontrolled management of the
financial affsirs at this time seemed to
have begun to bring forth its legitimate
fruit. Beginning with August, 1888, the
practice of allowing Mr.. Pussy to make
the warden's settlements with the audi
tor and treasurer commenced. During
the fourteen months succeeding, Mr..
Pussy made eight regular monthly set
Elements and three settlements on water
business. The record of the auditor of
The state show that at first Mr.. PuseY's
settlements for Warden Jones were only
occasionally, but later increased, and
during five consecutive months of last
summer Mr.. Pussy made the regular set
Elements. These settlements were made
with the auditor and treasurer, upon tine
written request Of the warden.
E11I Ia Al, \ IL
OF Pussy as they occurred, after which
the report continues:
The system OF making petty coal sales
in vogue at the institution gave Mr..
Pussy scope Tor the exercise of his pecu-
liar talent. A person desiring to pur-
chase coal would make his application
to Mr.. Pussy, and litter paying for the
amount of coal desired would receive
from PuseY an order on the weigh clerk
for the same. On the presentation of
this order the coal would be delivered
to him aud the order taken up by the
weigh clerk. No record was made of the
| issuance of the order. At the close of
each days transaction, these orders were
returned to Mr.. PuseY by the weigh
clerk, and as there was no record of
them, Mr.. Pnsey made such use of them
as he saw fit If the orders were de-
stroyed the money need not be account
ed for, and many of such orders must
have been by him destroyed. Since the
discovery of Mr.. PuseV's fraudulent
transactions, however, this system has
been changed and the orders are deliver
ed by the weigh clerk to the warden in
tsad of the clerk. The total amount of
Pusey's ENLIGHTENMENT, including, as
nearly as can be ascertalned, the petty
coal sales. is about 5000.
The following tabulated statement will
exhibit the various amounts specifically,
with date:
| On settlement with state. not account
Gu luz AUGUST %. ''-'''' y
| On settlement with state not account
Gu ' sEPTEMBER1s ~
| Received by PuSey of George lnnes
Received Sy Pusey from error in set
Element of accounts with G. samish,
Check Of Warden Jones Tor payment
tanned by Pusey -. ....-..... 447 q
amoant due hin. ..........-........ g 90
| Received on coal sales not accounted
for by Pusey (amount admitted by
| Warden) OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. SSo "
In this connection II is but just for the
committee to say that there is no evi.
dence or suspicion tending to show that
the warden has acted corruptly in any
instance. His duties have been many
and enormous, and he placed too much
| confidence In and reliance on the clerk
for whose appointment he was in no wise
responsible, his appointment having
been virtually dictated to the board OF
directors by the then governor OF the
state. The difficulties which Warden
Jones labored under, and which are
1 -. rF 80 nnnIoaf
toa considerable ext ent obviated by Civ
ing to the warden clerical assistance
either a private secretary or clerk, fol
whose appointment and transactions he
shall be held responsible. and whose du
ties 1t should be to keep the warden'i
cash books 10 compare the detailed state
ments and vouchers prepared by thu
regular clerk with the invoices, etc., be
fore each statement and voucher is ap
proved by the warden. The presen
management took charge of the inetitu
ton under exceptionally favorable cir
cumstances. The discipline and man
agement was IN thorough order, and the
coal mine was in so nearly perfected
state that the plans of the late wardeI
had only to be carried out to insure finan
cial success such as had hardly beeI
deemed possible in the history of prison
management.
That this has largely been done j
evidenced by the large output OF Goa
and the self.supportIng condition of t.
institution. at the time of our visit Il
the institution there were TT convict
therein. To accommodate this grea
number it was necessary m many IN
stances that two prisoners should occup
the same cell, the total number of cell
being 6SS. The cells are in dimension
716x7x4 feet, which in size is wholly IN
J adequate for the accommodation OF tw
persons. The question of dollars an
cents, ever important in state actions,
not the only one to consider. Human
lty is interested in knowing that a.
proper efforts have been made towar
reclalming to better life those who &
the expiration OF their term of imPril
onmeDt are returned to society.
We therefore recommend that an In
} stItuliou. reformatory in its character
: b. built at as early day as possible
utilizing as tar as may be the labor nov
1t the disposal of the state. and ths
when built it be used for the conf1ne
, ment of those convicted of first o
Tense tor the lesser crimes. That the
be clad IN a garb different from that !
: vogue. That such rules and regulation
be authorized by law. That when thos
= | 80 IeCtlNlnk bAS Sto1S cAo
> prove iDcorrigible, they shall be tram
, ferred to the penitentlary proper. Ais
that the trusty and meritous convlcts
the penitentIsry may during the lattE
, period OF their imprisonment be tram
D ferred to such reformatOry institution
, The report concludes with extensiv
and credItable notices of the new watt
i works. said to he the best in all respect
{ IN the west, and the macademized roa
y 20 Leavenworth. The committee recon
. meuds a more perfect system OF sewe
age. the employment of secretary IL
' the warden. and also one assistant phys
e clan. and thai the records of the prise
o in all respects, be kept more systemAti
ally and IN permanent manner.
OBITUARY NOTICE.