The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-19
A STRONG REPLY.
Ex-Marshal Dyer Speaks in His
Own Behalf
REGARDING THE GRAND JURY'S
STRUCTURES Upon His Conduct as an Oficial-
Some Patent Facts and Cen
elusive Arguments.

cluSlVe Arg
The report of the grand jury of the Third dis
trict court, published on the 18th instant, con
tains some criticisms on my conduct while
United States marshal of Utah, which are IN
just to me because they are not based upon
facts and it is only fair to myself and my friends,
that should correct these errors. 1t is, am
aware, an ungracious thing to assail document
which emanates from body of selected citizens
sworn to an impartial discharge of official duty
but as honest men are often misled, and may
with the best motives err to the prejudice OF
Others. a correction of their mistakes is no i'm
putation upon them, and so without any wish TO
impugn the good faith of the grand jury, wish
to defend myself. While saying this 1 do not
conceal from myself, nor wish to have the public
understand, that influences were not at work to
do me personal wrong. 1t is TO those influences
1 attribute whatever Of injustice TO myself is
found in that report.
1t was my misfortune while United States
marshal to incur the displeasure of some promi-
nent persons in this community, and they con-
tinued since my retirement from office to pursue
me- l do not care to resort TO personal Vitupera-
ton for my defense. shall dismiss that leaving
my statement to such weight as the public may
give to my assertion. l come to the matler
which desire to correct
When was appointed marshal 1 found that
the custom had been for the marshal to furnish
the seed and team, and the prisoners to do the
work, necessary to raise crop OF potatoes, and
charge the government for the potatoes the
market price. In accordance with this practice
which had prevailed with my predecessors and
by the suggestion of my immediate predecessor,
MIR. Ireland, bought the necessary seed at a
cost of about forty dollars, furnished the teams
and raised in 1886 about two hundred and fifty
bushels of potatoes For them the government
was charged at the current rate The net amount
received did not pay for the use OF the team. In
1887 raised over one thousand and two hun
dred bushels of potatoes which were used, and
no charge whatever was made, because, while
l did not believe the sale of them to the govern
ment was improper, knew that it might be
objected to- and desired to do nothing that
could be open to any reasonable criticism, and
save for the first year of my marshalship l
never charged or received single dollar for
potatoes raised on the reservation. and then,
was not recompensed for the actual cash cost and
use of team doing that work. The report states
that the amount of potato vouchers" was not
known TO them. The remark could not apply to
my accounts for my entire transaction IN that
respect was open to them. For my pre-
deceSsOrs could not be expected to answer.
1.-THE MILK QUESTION.
furnished milk not from one or two cows as
stated in the report, but never less than three
and as many as seven head L instructed the
warden TO charge the regular market price, and
il at any time that was exceeded, it was without
my kuOhlGuBB. MI. DTOHn Was TIC hdluGH Ill
charge and had entire control of this matter
necessarily. L had no suspicion, at any time,
that excessive charges were being made for
milk and while cannot say that this milk ac-
count is correct TO the drop, it always appeared
so reasonable, that even now, making some al
lOwanceS for unfaithfulneSS in my subordinate,
which 1 afterwards discovered and which in
duced me, with other things, to remove him
from the position about the LIST OF February,
1888. The grand jury evidently got their inform
alton from this man, as understand he was be-
n1f 11IfNtar onIfv OG
all on this account for which it ever paid, as all
the other wardens who have been there do
affirm.
m-FLoUR, CANDLES, HAM AND BEEF.
Asto -four, candles, beef and ham furnished
only say this in reply to the criticism that the
prices were eXtraVagant and the supply eXceS-
SiVe." That goods furnished to the United
States were rot always paid for in cash. Every
year for the last five years there was detic-
lency extending over perlod OF ABOUT TOUR
months each year, and was completely at the
mercy of those furnishing the goods, some of
whom at one time notified me that they could
not furnish them on such long and uncertain
time at the usual cash prices. Under these cir
cumstanceS what was l to do: Would they have
me turn the prisoners loose, keep them in prison
and starVe them. or buy goods at small ad-
vance from merchants who were willing TO carry
the government il permitted to make falr
profit, and l do not believe any OF
reputable, honest men, and assert
that the government has never suffered by rea-
son of its dealings with any of them. But to
all this criticism about the prices, 1 have but
one general answer, furnished by the grand
iury's report, namely: that the expense of keep.
ing prisoners, including pay and board OF
guards and warden's salary was about As cents
per day, and deductlng pay OF guards 30 cents
per day." With this statement made by the re-
port, think can fairly submit to the common
Judgment Of the public that no extravagant
prices could have been paid for subsistence,
when it is admitted that the supplies to the pri-
soners were generous in quantity and quality,
and that the resulting cost only % cents per day.
1 think no man who has any knowledge OF the
cost of living will find any place to lodge sue
scessful charge of extravaganza upon such
management.
| find by a letter now in my possession from
the attorney general of the United States. that
in the years 1886 and 1887 the penitentiares of
the territories of Idaho and Montana cost for
subsistence from 75c. to S5c. per DAY, nearly
twice the cost of the prisoners in my charge.
The marshal of Idaho at that time, now the
honored Delegate in Congress from that terri
tory, and no charge, even in the heat and bitter
ness of partisan elective contest, was ever
made of extravaganza, although the cost per
prisoner was nearly twice the cost in Utah, I'M
der my administration. If paid from 10 to
% per cent too much for supplies, then the cost
of subSiSting prisoners would have been ad
vanced accordingly. Will any honest or sen.
Sble man pretend to believe that the cost oil
SubSistng my prisoners could nave Deen re
duced below the price which the grand jury
state in their report by any such percentage!
V.-THE WAGON ACCOUNT.
The report states this matter with substantial
correctness. My team delivered goods for ali
firms who supplied the prison, and some of those
firms paid me for the service. They preferred
10 nav me to delivering them themselves and
the department of justice, on enquiry from me
approved my action, as without any objection.
II was wholly matter for the seller of the
goods as TO how they would deliver them, and
they employed my team on terms that were
satisfactory TO them, and the arrangement was
certainly as fair as any like labor could be done
in
defrauded nor is it pretended that II sunered IN
any degree.
brought forward, except TO cr1tlclse the depart
ment of justice for not supplying It's own trans
portation. AS am not the manager OF that de
partment and am in no way responsible for Its
manner of doing business ii can have no pertin
ence in o report Of this kind. Save in the wal
department, where the military are furnished
wagons and teams in some parts OF the country
to transport supplies and horse and carriage for
cabinet officers, believe II has never been the
policy OF the United States to furnish its own
necessary transportation, and 1t may be that the
report of this grand jury will have the effect to
change this general policy and to induce 1t to
buy and operate railroads, stage lines, wagons
buggies and teams. But would suggest that to
effect that purpose it had been better TO nave
adopted memorial 10 Congress than to make a
report TO the Third district court OF Utah.
NAV add, however, that the estimate in this
report, like estimates which are common IN al
hasty and ill-considered reforms, that wagon
and team costing $500 would suffice for this ser
vice. is totally at fault. No single team could
perform the service. 1 oftent1mes had two &C
lively engaged, and on many occasions in add
ton my private carriage, and hired some.
In relation to the enlIe question OF the man
agement ofthe penitentiary, can say always
practiced the same economy should have done
had been doing the work on my individual &C
count and that have used at least fair skill
is evident when comparison is made with the
management elsewhere.
/ find that the daily cost of the Ohio state
prison per prisoner, as by report OF its keeper