The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-23
The Prison Scandal and. the
Republican Party.
WARDEN MACK KNOWS 700 MUCH
And the Board Clings to Him With q
Tenacity Worthy of a Better Man
Public Building

of Republican success in Idaho in 1892.
The recent prison scandal which has at
tracted the comment of leading papers all
over the state should have opened the eyes
Of the prison board to the eternal fitness of
an immediate and sweeping and radical
change in the prison management COM
mencing with the decapitation of the
warden and continuing until the last
guard ana employee OF the penitentiary
who was found either sleeping on guard or
drinking whisky was exchanged for sober
and capable watchmen. 1t only adds to the
condemnation of the prison board and in
directly of the Republican party that
placed these men in their positions, that
despite all the damaging facts brought
out even in the er pdrte evidence allowed
by the board that they did not Immediately
ask Tor Warden Mack's resignation and if
he refused, to nominate his successor and
turn the prison over to him. Exactly why
the republican prison board should cling
with such wonderful unanimity and per-
slstence to Warden Mack is question over
which many people are puEzling their heads
Just now. Whether Mack has got so COM
pletely on the inside and
KNOWS TOO MUCH
of the present management of state affairs
In Idaho and is so familiar with all the lit
tie dark, crooked, and devious ways of the
little coterle comprising the board that his
whispered word on the outside in case OF
his discharge would cause very undesir-
aoIe sensational tempest in a teapot, so to
speaker whether the personal obligations
under which at least two of the board are re-
puted to be under to Mr.. Mack, keeps him in
office, Is a difficult matter to determine. At
any rate the action of the prison board in
retaining him is none the less disgraceful
and reprehensible. In addition to
the weight of calumny attaching
to him on account of the
prize fight scandal, it appears now that he
is thoroughly careless aud Incompetent.
The Statesman, Republican paper in its
issue of Sunday contains this damaging
statement:
At the present time the Statesman has in its
possession key to the main outer gate of the
| stockade oil the state penitentiary, which War
den Mack may have by calling at this office
1t is stated upon good authority that another
| town.
On October 9th. the warden discharged a
guard named @. H. Bailey, resident of Boise
| All the guards carry KEYS to the stockade gate
/ and when Mr.. Bailey was dismissed he did not
| return his key. He says the warden did not ask
| for IL, and that no demand has ever been made
| for il.
About month after Mr.. Bailey left the
prison he lost the key, but he recovered it on
Thursday last.
Luckily no vicious person found the key. II
any one who knew where ii belonged had Sc
cured possession Of the key and had managed tc
surrepttitously convey il to one of the many
desperate men confined in the prison. a very
sensational event would certainly have fol
! lowed.
During each day from fifty to eighty prisoners
are allowed 10 ramble about the large yard
which is enclosed by the high Stockade. On
! the northern. southern and eastern ends of the
stockade, armed guards are stationed. During
days of inclement weather the watchers occupy
sentry boxes.
Now, if visitor to the prison had dropped
the key where any prisoner could have found
it, the latter would have lost no time in form
ing a conspiracy that could not have resulted
in the MAN, otherwise than successfully He
wopld have informed his fellow-convicts thai
liberty was at hand for some of them, and thai
at preconcerted signal they should all rush
headlong for the gate, which he (or some
truSty) would open. The prisoners could moi
have but felt certain that before they all coulc
get out of range some of them would fall be
fore the rifles Of the guards; but how many
men out OF seventy-fve could the guards dis
able? Probably ten perhaps twenty Bur
who were the unfortunate twenty who would
bite the dust? 1t is risk that any prisoner
would take, and the men in the Idaho peniten
tiary would have taken it.
No sensible person can say that the pic
tured possibilities as are here portrayed arr
an idle dream. The carelessness of The
warden in this matter alone calls loudly fol
his dismissal, and if the prison board refuse
to do this, an indignant people will resent
it at the polls when they have an opportun
ity of putting the seal of their condemna.
ton upon him and them.
DEATH OF MRS. PALMER.
Private word reached this city Saturda,
that Mrs. Sarah Ann Palmer, relict of tn,
late General Joel Palmer, died recently il
Dayton, Ariz. She was 16 years old and i:
well known to all of the old-timers in Boise
city, as she herself was pioneer, having
with her husband, come here in the early
days. She was the mother of Mr.. CS
Jacobs, of this city, who. himself, is amons
the Oldest of the old timers and pioneers O.
Boise city, being connected with the city
from its BIRTH In fact ''Cy," who is wei
known all over Idaho, was one of the prin-
cipal men who gave BOISE a local habitatior
and name. He was in at the birth apC
christening of the young place and las beer
with her ever since.
AN ORGANS AFFRoNT.
The TribuIle's continued assault upor
Idaho by publishing broadcast that she i
not especially prosperous as a state is mos
cordially resented by our people here
Boise was never more prosperous than sht
is at present, and in fact tide of genera
prosperity has swept over the entire state
The people OF Idaho know fully as well a.
the Tribune whether they are prosperou
or not.
PUBLIC BUILDING.
The action of Senator Shoup in intro
ducing bill providing for the erection of
public building in Boise is enthusiasticall,
spoken of here by everyb body. The build
ing, including grounds and all expense
, connected herewith is not to exceed 5000
600. The following is the full text of tn,
bill:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House O
Representatives. of the United States of Amer
lea, in congress assembled, That the secretar
of the treasury be, and he is hereby author
lied and directed to acquire, by purchase cor
domination or otherwise. a site. and cause to b
erected thereon suitable building. includin
fireproof vaults, heating and Ventilating anna
ratus, elevators and approaches for the use an
acc mmodation of tie United States postoffic
and other government offices in Boise CITY an,
state OF Idaho, the cost OF said site and build
Ing, including said vaults. heating and ventilat
ing apparatus. elevators and approaches com
plete, not 10 exceed 10000. Proposals for tn
sale of land suitable for said site shall be in
vited by pubic advertisement in one or nor
of the newspapers of said city of largest circu
lation for at least twenty days prior to the dat
specified in said advertisement for the openinl
of said proposals.
Proposals made in response to said adver
tisement shall be addressed and mailed to tn,
secretary OF the treasury. who shall then caus,
the proposed sites and such others as he ma
think proper 10 designate, to be examined il
person by an agent of tne treasury department
who shall make written report 10 said secre
tary of the results of said examination and O
his recommendation thereon, and the reason.
therefor. which shall be accompanied by thu
original proposals and all maps, plats an,
statements which shall have come into his nos
session relating to the said proposed sites
If, upon consideration of said report and &C
companying papers. the secretary of the treas
ury shall deem further investigation necessary
he may appoint a commission OF not more tina,
three persons one Of whom shall be an office
OF the treasury department which commission
shall also examine the said roposed sites an
such others as the secretary of the treasur
may designate. and grant such hearings in rela