Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-04
high price for chicken, and he said "Yes,
/ think that is fowl play"
DOES THIS SETTLE TT?
President Kelly, of rhe Inspectors, Says
the Public Has Nothing to do With
the Western Penitentiary-The
L. Nos ka DuhIic


State Is Not the Public.
At his home on Western avenue last night
Mr.. George A. Kelly said that it would be
impossible for DR.. Maharneke to have
done anything crooked, as he had been un-
der surveillance since the time he was ap-
pointed hospital steward. Mr.. Kelly added:
81 do not believe that Maharneke is guilty,
and will not believe it until he has had fair
and impartial trial. 1t is folly for any one to
think that Maharneke could have aided any
one to escape, or do anything that was con-
trary to prison regulations. Although he was
an official of the prison, he did not know he
was constantly watched guess you are the
only one aside from the warden and my self
who knows of this. Every little act
of the mans was carefully noted and if he did
anything suspicious the warden would have
been after him. We did not watch him be-
cause we thought that he was dishonest, but on
account of the circumstances indicating his ele-
walton to the position. We knew he was in q
position to do the prison harm if he wished, and
therefore we did not propose to take any
chances
There is nothing in the charges Of cruelty.
Why the man could not have done half he is
charged with without it being known to the
warden. If Maharneke was doing all these
crooked things, maltreating sick prisoners, &C
cepting bribes, etc., what do you suppose the
warden was doing all this this time? Do you
not think he would know something about it?
No. sir, you can't make me believe those things
until we have better proof"
IT MUST BE IRoN-CLAD.
"What do you think of the receipt given by
Maharneke for the IS alleged to have received
for the chlcken?'
"Wen. we are going to let Mrs. Mair produce
that if she can. From what have been able
to hear, am afraid she cannot. If she does,
it will be compared with the books in the
prison office. Maharneke writes such foreign
hand that there will be no trouble telling
whether the signature is genuine or not.
Mrs. Mair says she had the receipt, but lost
it in moving, etc. Mrs. Mair is an honest
woman and would not have sworn to seeing the
receipt unless she actually saw it, The ques-
ton in my mind is was the receipt genuine"
think DR.. Maharneke was too smart to do a
thing of this kind. If he accepted the money
he certainly knew enough not to criminate
himself by giving receipt for it"
How do you account for the sworn testi-
mony of Mrs. Mair to the effect that Mahar-
neke was very blasphemous in his language in
the hospital Mrs. Mair is positive that Mahar-
neke used the worst language she ever heard
tions 2"
Il cannot for the life of me imagine why
Mrs. Mair should keep this a secret,
and not let the warden or inspectors
know of it, when she knew it was
against the rules of the institution. She
knows, as well as l know, that no officer on
guard in the prison is allowed to use harsh or
disrespectful language TO any prisoner, and
cannot strike him, only when the life of the
keeper is in danger. She came to the prison,
sat down at the same table, ate her dinner with
DR.. Maharneke. and never made complaint
of any kind She knew it was her duty to re-
port any violations Of the rules. She did not
report these; but, on the contrary to the State
Board she made the report that she could find
no fault with the institution in any respect.
This certainly sounds very queer, doesn't it?
LIGHTNING's UNCERTAIN FLASH.
81 guess we will have another meeting about
Friday evening next when the other side will
be heard. As / told Maharneke this after
noon, if he is guilty lightning will strike him.
do not know what the board will do with him
after he is discharged, in case of his guilt. 1t
is penal offense to aid any prisoner to escape,
and Maharneke will probably get chance to
come before a court of justice.
Il fully believe that there is a power back of
the whole matter, and sensational develop
ments may turn up. Yes, we will certainly in
vestigate it to the bottom, even if have to
employ detectives to aid me to get at the
bottom of it. If 1 have to do this, will get
some Of you DISPATCH reporters to ferret the
matter out tor me. If there is job back of it
to injure Maharneke, who says it is all a con-
spiracy then the job is engineered by man
who has pretty long head, and is as smart as
they find them. If / locate certain man in
this city who, think, is at the bottom of it, he
viii likely hear something drop, and might get
q chance TO serve another term.
There is another thing / would like to state, |
and that is that there will be no reporters |
present at the next meeting of the board. Why, |
was astonished when / heard that THE DIS |
PATCH had a man at the meeting Friday night. |
Such thing was entirely unheard of, and Will |
not occur again as long as am connected with |
the institution. 1t is not because fear the |
publicity of the thing. but because / do not |
think it is a matter of news for the public
A POPULAR MISTAKE.
"Well, Mr.. Kelly, is the penitentiary not |
State institution, and, consequently, are not |
the proceedings of its officers properly open |
TO the public?"
'No, sir; do not recognize that you are the |
State, or the public is the State The in |
spectors of the prison are the servants of the |
State, and we are not supposed to be answera- |
bic to the public for any of our acts. The |
proceedings of our investigations have always |
been conducted secretly, and we intend to keep |
on that line. If any reporters come down to |
that meeting they will not get in
"Will this not make the public think that |
You are afraid Of the publication of the pro. |
ceedings, and want to keep it as quiet as pos |
sihle?n
isIet them think SO! Why should we care |
what the public thinks? We know our duty in |
the matter and the public need not have any |
interest in it until the investigation iscon- |
cluded."