Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-02-07


pointment of Hiatt As director. I recon-
mended HATS appointment to Governor
Martin did all could to get my friend
Lopez the contract. Ispoke to Hiatt and
to Richter. The first arrangement was for
Buckley and Lopez to have the contract
Jointly, but ie fell through, and-Aoper got
= contract for one-half the OUTPUTS and
Barnes received the other half. Subse-
quentiy Eoper took in Buckley and then
afterwards took i'm Church. lesv-.,
ing Buckley out. The Loper-Buckley
arrangement only lasted q few weeks.
and also the TOPPER Church combine
top, when Loper became. dissatis-.
fed and wanted to sell out and
came to Leavenworth. and
Barnes. gave me s.. 600 to give Loper for his
contract I never received any money
from Barnes, Buckley or Loper. but Church
gave mo $190. This is the, only money I
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.
have nothing TO conceal from the commit
tee and have given all the information in
my possession" .,,s5s-,-,-. 49,.
The next witness was Ed. A. Church,
who had been summoned by telegram
from Lincoln, Neb. In his cross examina-
ton he said: Il never paid any money to
Warden Smith or to Directors Hiatt or
Richter. i do not know of any one who
ever paid one Of these men any money for
coal contracts" 49,
Colonel D. r. Anthony was then called
He said: THE most I know about the
penitentiary is based upon conversations
with Ex-Governor Carney, Mr.. Hiatt, Mr..
Church and Buckley. Church showed me
a check for 800, which had been paid
krohn. Papers were shown me by Buck
ley. Church and Loper Buckley told me
he had a contract which should never get
out of his hands until it was paid for. He
never named any definite sum for the
paper. 1 had arranged for exchanging
some Atchison County lands, for
some lands near the penitentiary,
practically allowing for said land $50 per
acre. The lands near the .penitentiary
were not worth over $35 to $40. 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 500
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 SIS. 600 for
getting the bill through, authorizing the
purchase of the lands" a;
The committee here deferred further
questioning of the witness about these land
puTCudSoS uuCIi IL COulQ OeCeTnlQo WH0Cn.
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 tsgEr, =.
The committee then adjourned.
ttfli 5'g.. Third Day. iees~f
LEAvENwoRTH, Kan, Feb. 1.-The PEN
itentiary Committee proceeded to the pen
itentiary at Lansing yesterday morning 1
and resumed its Iabors. 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 a tabulated state
ment made by himself showing the entire
monthly output of the mine from its open
ing up to January 1, 1883. /
He then .said:, 81 receive q salary of
50, 600. per year from the State. No con-
tractor. or any director of the spen,' nor
the warden ever offered me cent Of
money. Mr.. Barnes offered me money last
July. He offered me $25 per month to in |
crease my pay, saying I was not getting |
sufficient salary. He said he wanted me |
to keep the sulphur out OF the coal. Said |
he would pay me this $25 per month simply /
to keep the sulphur out of the coal l told |
Mr.. Barnes l was getting all the money I |
was entitled to and otpaid from the State
for that purpose, and refused to accept it. |
The contractors generally got all the ac-
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. 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 |
at eighty pounds to the bushel, but War |
den Jones changed it to eighty five pounds |
per bushel, and the present warden and |
directors continued Jones' plan. 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, z. E. Murphy |
and G. w. Veal were the contractors for |
coal when 1 assumed my duties. In July, |
1885, Barnes & Lopez got the contract. !
Lopez went out in October, 1885. since |
which time Barnes has had the /
Knew Ed Church who was
int crested with Lopez in the coal |
money or any valuable thing. Never gave |
me check for $40 that I can remember: |
may have received from Church a small !
check in part payment Of one OF my own |
checks which 1 may. have .cashed at his
hotel after banking hours. Lutweiler
never gave me a cent. Barnes never gave
me 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" s.g fs s.f-t --s
Chief Clerk Jones was examined at |
length as to the manner of coal sales and |
of keeping the books Of the spen," when
the committee adjourned
During the day the committee visited |