Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-06-12
The PEN. INVESTIGATION,
The True Animus of it was Simple
Blackmail-A Weak Attempt at
Conspiracy Fails
puncture of a Political Wind.Bag Sent
up by Ex.Convlcts and Others
The Official Report.

The following official report on the PEN
itentiary investigation was received by
the governor yesterday and is published
in full that the people of New Mexico
NAV understand the full animCs of this
whole affair;
Hon. L. Bradford Prince, Governor Of New Mex
leo,
SIR: The undersigned, majority OF
the board of commissioners of the New
Mexico penitentary beg leave to make
the following report of an Investigation
made by them into the management OF that
institution, and the conduct OF its officers,
which was held under the provisions OF
section 8, chapter IS, OF the session laws
of 1899.
The investigation was ordered upon YER
bal charges made to the board by James
Clancy, a convict sentenced from Berna"
lilo county for grand larceny, in which
charges he stated that he had been in
formed by other prisoners of various acts
of misconduct and improperly On the
part of j. NJ. Montoya, the assistant su-
perntendent of the penitentiary with one
of the female convicts, and proposed to
corroborate these charges by the testi-
mony of two other prisoners named
James Stevens and Alacrio Domingues.
The steward of the penitentiary, Luis
Z. Alarid, made request in writing to
the board for such all investigation, on ac-
count of certain newspaper articles charg-
ing him with similar misconduct as an
officer of that institution.
The investigation was directed by unani-
nous vote at the meeting of the board
held on May 20, at which meeting Hon.
Trinidad Alarid, one of its members was
at his request excused from acting during
the investigation on account OF his rela-
tionship to Luis E. Alarid A subpoena
was issued for James Stevens, Zone of the
witnesses named by Clancy his term OF
imprisonment expired the following day
and at the time the superintendent of the
penitentlary released him, he also served
the subpoena. Stevens stated to
member of the board that he
would be present to testify on the 23d of
May. On that day majority of the
board met at the office OF the superinten-
dent OF the pententiary at 10 O'Clock a.
N. for the purpose of conducting the in
vestigation. After waiting an hour for
the witness James Stevens to appear an
attachment was issued against him, and
subpoena for the eX-convict Sam
Griffin" The officer returned that be
was unable to find either of the men, and
another subpoena was issued for Sam
Griffin" to be served in Las Vegas, and
another for j. II. Crist, the editor OF the
Santa Fe Sun.
The majority of the board then proceed
ed to take the testimony of such witnesses
as had been brought to it's attention either
by request of any person or in the news
papers. While the sessions were not
public in the sense of inviting people to
attend out OF curiosity, no one who ap.
piled to be present was refused admit,
lance to the meetings of the board during
the investigation. The convict, Clancy,
was the only person to present charges or
suggest names of witnesses, except that
the witness, Crist, upon being urged to do
so gave the names Of three witnesses,
viz "Sam Griffin, y" Con Davis" and
Sanders, also known as Jim Price"
The two former were brought in and
examined. The residence of the latter
could not be ascertained. 80 he WAS not
summoned.
The investigation by the board lasted
amined under oath, their testimony max
ing forty-two closely printed pages, was
taken down by typewriter. The exami-
nation was as patient, thorough and
searching as it could be made, and was
only concluded when there was absolute
ly nothing more before the commission.
1t was not conducted according to the
strict rules OF legal evidence, but hearsay
and irrelevant matter was freely admitted
in an earnest desire to arrive at the
truth. The witness, Clancy, upon whose
allegations the investigation was ordered
as to Montoya, was contradicted by sew
eral and corroborated by none. James
Stephens, after having been subpGned,
refusing to appear, and Alcario Domin-
CUES fatty contradicting all his (Clancy's)
statements.
The testimony produced was not of the
most satisfactory character, being mainly
that OF present and former convicts. Yet
in it all there was none, even tending
to support the charge made against the
Objects uauleu, DuI Ou tlle Contrary IL
strongly pointed toward conspiracy on
the part OF some of the witnesses to ruin
and disgrace them through the influence
OF outside persons.
While there is no evidence in all the
mass of testimony taken, to implicate
any officer of the peiftentiary in the
scandalous conduct, such as was charged
by Clancy, or published in the news
papers, it is evidently shown that there
has been neglect to enforce certain
of the rules OF the penitentiary under all
its administrations, which has resulted
in the possibility OF forming Of combina-
tons in and about that institution de-
trimental to it's best administration, and
the sudden and unfortunate death of
the former Superintendent Abrahams,
doubtless largely contributed to this state
of affairs.
The board has taken efficient steps to
correct this condition, and it is believed it
will not exist in the future.
In concluding this report We would
call your attention to the attached atii-
davits, as tending to show the animus of