Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-07

| Barnes gave me y, 900 to give Lopez for his
contract / never received any money
from Barnes, Buckley or Lopez, but Church
gave me 500. This is the only money
ever received in any shape or form in con-
| nection with this coal and this was given
me by Church to reimburse me for hotel
and other expenses incurred in running to
and from Atchison and Leavenworth. l
have nothing TO conceal from the commit
tee and have given all the information in
my possess on"
| The next witness was Ed. A. Church,
who had been summoned by telegram
| from Lincoln, Neh. In his cross-examina-
ton he said: Il never paid any money to
Warden Smith or to Directors Hiatt or
Richter. l do not know of any one who
ever paid one of these men any money for
coal contracts"
Colonel D r. Anthony was then called.
| He said: THE most / know about the
penitentiary is based upon conversations
with Ex-Governor Carney, Mr.. Hiatt, Mr..
Church and Buckley. Church showed me
check for 500, which had been paid
Krohn. Papers were shown me by Buck
ley. Church and Lopez Buckley told me
he had contract which should never get
out of his hands until it was paid for. He
paper. l had arranged for exchanging
| some Atchison County lands, for
some lands near the penitentiary,
practically allowing for said land S35 per
acre. The lands near the penitentiary
were not worth over S35 to S75, and it soon
became known that Governor Carney had
obtained an option on the land and they
were purchased by the Legislature at a
cost of $50 per acre for $50 acres, and 800
per acre for twenty acres. Governor Car
ney told me that he did not make much
out Of the transaction, as he had to pay
one member of the Legislature 5000 for
getting the bill through, authorizing the
purchase of the lands"
The committee here deferred further
questioning of the witness about these land
purchases until it could determine wheth-
or these matters should be inquired into.
Colonel Anthony then gave his idea as
to how the coal should be mined and dis
posed of to the best interests of the State.
Mr.. j. E. Carr, superintendent of the
Leavenworth coal mine, was next called
and testified as to the number of men en-
ployed and the wages they could earn in
his mine, which was situated five miles
from the penitentiary shaft
The committee then adjourned.
Third Day.
1EAvENwoRTH, Kan, Feb. 1.-The PEN
itentiary Committee proceeded to the PEN
itentiary at Lansing yesterday morning
and resumed its labors. The first witness
called was Oscar F. Lamm, superintendent
of the coal shaft ever since it started. He
detailed the method of operating the mine
and gave the committee tabuate state
ment made by himself showing the entire
monthly output of the mine from its open
ing up to January 1. 1889.
He then said: al receive a salary of
g. 900 per year from the State. No con-
tractor, or any director of the 'pen,' nor
the warden ever offered me a cent of
money. Mr.. Barnes offered me money last
July. He offered me S25 per month to in
crease my pay, saying | was not getting
sufficient salary. He said he wanted me
to keep the sulphur out of the coal. Said
he would pay me this S25 per month simply
to keep the sulphur out of the coal told
Mr.. Barnes l was getting all the money /
was entitled to and got paid from the State
for that purpose, and refused to accept it
The contractors generally got all the ac-
commodations they asked for. The screens
were changed at their request. When they
wanted more coal, more men were put in
the pit, when they wanted less coal men
were taken out of the pit This was done
on the warden's order. L donot know that
any contractor gave any officer of the
PEN or weigh clerk any money or valuable
things, but have been told such things.
The deputy warden told me he heard that
Leland. the weigh clerk, had been bribed.
When Hopkins was warden coal was sold
.s.-l.s IL l,,N
den Jones changed it to eighty five pounds
per bushel, and the present warden and
directors continued Jones' plan. 1 con-
slider six cents per bushel to the con-
tractors a low price for coal"
Howard Leland, the weigh clerk, was
the next witness: Buckley, E. E. Murphy
and e. w. Veal were the contractors for
coal when L assumed my duties. In July,
1885, Barnes & Lopez got the contract.
Lopez went out in October, 1885. since
which time Barnes has had the
contract Knew Ed Church who was
interested with Lopez in the coal
contract. Church never gave me any
money or any valuable thing Never gave
Iue a check for SO that l can remember;
may have received from Church small
check in part payment of one of my own
checks which l may have cashed at his
hotel after banking hours Lutweier
never gave me a cent. Barnes never gave
ue any money; no contractor offered to
pay me any money. / never received any
money from Warden Smith or Directors
Hiatt or Richter. My salary is 500 per
year and board"
Chief Clerk Jones was examined at
length as to the manner of coal sales and
ffE ha IF ha ba,,