Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-02-14

| Barnes at i've cents Whist ia che relative
value Of this to the screened Goals
"I should say about flve to SIX centse
"Tho State lost eleven conts On the 400
bushels according TO yoar feuresf'
81 hardly think so. The test made was
in the morning when the coal il cleaner
than dusing the day. The test made Was
an absolutely fair one" sss .sssss
Witness testified that lumber contracts
had always been let to the lowest bidder.
but the contracts for -four fer 1885 had
beeu let to rush & Sprague although J. ID.
Bowersock was the lowest bidder. The
reason given was because the Rush q
Sprague -four was Of q better. quality Rush
& Sprague also got the contract for 1885
although Bowersock bid ~ cents per 100
pounds lower. The reason again given
by the witness was that the flour furnished
by Rush & Sprague had been good and it
was not deemed advisable to change. In
1887 Rush. & Sprague again got the con-
tract. being the lowest bidders. They got
It again in 1888. being the lowest bidders.
Director Richter here stated that for the
-four contractsof 1886 Bowersock's sample
for $l9i was the same quality as that of
Rush & Spraeue for $1.6o. and the 8, 90
test had been shown that Rush & Sprague's
sample was the best. .s ,-E =
Sixth DayAThe warden's Testimony.
TOPEKA, Kan, Feb THE joint Peni-
Tertiary Investigation Committee met
yesterday morning. Warden Smith WAS
sworn and took the stand, and the exam
ination of this witness occupied the
entire meeting. His first evidence
showed the manner in which tracts of
land we're purchased for the penitentiary.
He had recommended the purchase
OF the Gamble tract, s. adjoining
the penitentiary, to the Legislature
of 1885, as the additional room
was needed for room for cars used in
transporting coal. The Smith tract was
purchased on his recommendation on has
Ways and Means, but he had suggested no
price for these tracts.
In answer to inquiries relating to the
meat contract the Warden said that he is
instructed by the board once a year to adj
vertlse for bids for furnishing the pen
itentiary lumber, dry goods. fresh
meat and -four, the schedules to
be furnished by the Warden. The pres
ent meat contract is held. by 1.-The
Armour Packing Company" He gave the
figures OF the different bidders, given at
the time of letting the last meat contract
The contract was let in 1856 to Volz Bros,
Of Leavenworth, at $49o, that being the
lowest bid.
The dry goods contract for 1887 was held
by different firms, Schuneman- & Evans
having part of it.
The Warden then requested that the
matter relating to the resembling of the
Lopez contract in 1885 be taken up, and
said that Lopez had disposed of part of
this contract to Ed A. Church. t
Convict Parker said Church had asked
him. as clerk. to cut the weight of coal on
cars from 1000 to 1000 on each car and he
would make it satisfactory.
In relation to the sewer pipe item in his
report for 1885, he said the sewerage sys-
tenn was under contract when he came to
the penitentiary. A contract had been let
to Biackmer s. Post for sewer pipe. desig-
mated as best grade, salt glazed pipe.
He emphatcally denied the charges re-
lating to furnish ng lumber for the erec-
ton of private houses.
The Warden stated, on inquiry, that the
reason that the consumption of coal in
creased from 324, 600 bushels in 1887 to A.
900 bushels in 1888, was the very severe
season and the additional surface to be
heated. When asked if MIR. Barnes had
been given preference when surplus coal
had been disposed of, he said he was, as
On question of Senator Hardness, he
said that the Hiatt residence had been
built by request of Director Hiatt, who
desired credit for the amount to be charged
for this until the first of January. He
said nothing Of any value had been manu-
featured for the directors and never paid
for. The buggy manufactured by Director
Richter was done on contract by Carriage
Contractor Caldwell. and was paid for.
a
About Finished.
TOPEKA, Kan, Feb. S.-When the in.
vestigating committee met yesterday
morning j. d. Bowersock was sworn and
testified that he manufactures flour in
Lawrence and had the contract to furnish
the penitentiary with flour from July 1.
1884 to June 80, 1885. When the contract
fore the board personally with his sample.
The contract was let to Rush & Sprague
unfairly, he thought, as their bid was
higher than his. s,l.
Major w. B. Shockley, treasurer, COM
missary aud secretary of the Soldiers
Home at Lsavenworth. took the stand. He
said that when the contract was let for
1887 Rush & Sprague and Bowersock had
each furnished samples of 800 pounds, and
the commissary sergeant, man of long
experience. took charge of the test. The
flour was taken by him and made into
bread. This bread was tested by the
board, and the many different qualities of
the bread justified them in making the
difference OF 90 cents in the bids, although
it was impossible for them to know by
whom the -four was manufactured.
B. Keller, storekeeper Of the peniten-s
tiary from May, 1885. to September Ia,
1888. was put on the stand, and said he
was discharged by the Warden a few days
after the Warden and Director Hiatt had
questioned him concerning his connection
with the publication of damaging
articles concerning the management
of the pentitentiary, relating to
the misrepresentation of certain