The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-04
AFFAIRS OF PRISON NORTH.
THE MICHIGAN CITY INVESTIGATION.
Warden Murdoch Shown to Have Con-
Quoted the Affairs OF the Institution
Honestly and sound Business
Principles-A Clean Record.


which was begun by calling Representa-
tive Nolan to the chair and appointing
Bert Spencer, stenographer and secretary
of the Joint committees. Considerable dis
cussion was had as to the best manner of
proceeding and what particular branch of
the subject to take up first. Another
point which made some controversy was
the question OF excluding certain
persons from the room of the Joint com
mittee. Representative Sleeper was very
emphatic in his objection to the presence
of reporters, who, he was much afraid,
would extort and exaggerate and make
false representations to suit the fancy of
the party-he was acting fair. 1t was
finally decided TO exclude everybody but
the stenographer, the reporters, the
warden and house doOr-keeper which was
done. This was regarded as very unjust
to the directors who were affected in the
changes and these gentlemen-Messrs.
French, Mack and Rennihan-felt they
were not fairly represented. 1t was
then decided to first examine the
books, accounts and contracts of the war
len, and a special committee OF experts
was suggested Messrs. Bruce Carr and
Walter Vail, clerk of the First national
bank of this city, were selected for that
purpose. They were instructed to make
an examination and report to the commit
tee. Senator Harlan and Representative
Erwin were delegated to be present at the
examination.
Before taking a recess for dinner IL was
decided that the joint committee should
continue in session for the examination
Of witnesses on other matters pending the
examination OF the books.
The first witness called after the recess
was Warden Murdoch. He was put
through the most rigid examination on
everydstail OF his transact ions during his
whole time OF service, extending through
several terms. He set forth with great
particularly the different items of the
revenue of the prison, and showed what
disposition had been made Of il, and fully
accounting for every penny that had come
into his hands. He described the ex-
penditure IN rebuilding the destroyed
shoe shop, IN the building of several ad-
ditiOns, in the LAYING out of money for sup
plies of every description, of all of which
proper entries had been made and were
matters OF record and for which proper
vouchers were on file. In none of the
various contracts had the warden acted
upon his own responsibility. In every
instance he had the express authori-
ty of the directors. The IA
nous slop contract business was
sifted to the bottom of the tub, and the
warden's testimony was backed up by the
records on file, which showed that it has
been the es ablished custom of the board
OF directors to enter into contract with the
warden for disposition OF all the waste
and refuse from the table, called Stops,
which had been used Tor the feeding of
hogs in pens attached to the prison, and
for which the warden paid the state from
S3UO 10 500 per year. In one instance it
was shown that where cholera had killed
of a lot OF hogs the directors had reduced
the contract price to $50 per year.
The warden was bombarded with ques-
tons from every direction by both demo-
Gratis and republicans, intending to show
that he had used funds other than his own,
own, or that had received and appropriate
ed to his own use moneys belonging to the
state. However, il was not shown that in
a single instance had penny gone into
the pocket of the warden that belonged TO
the state. The warden made no effort to
conceal the fact that he had kept the
funds Of the prison on deposit, available
maintained that this was not only the GUS
tom, but that it was the only method of
conducting the affairs of the prison with
safety and advantage to the state, and
that 1t had been justified in every particu-
lar by the action Of the directors.
The report of the committee selected to
examine the books and accounts of the
warden was then submitted. and verified
In every particular the fact that every dol
lar and every cent of public money which
had ever come into Warden Murdock's
hands had been accounted for by HIM.
The committee made tour through the
prison and interviewed a number of
prisoners Few had any complaints to
make; those who did were brought before
the committee and told their stories
Their complaints were principally of al
legged harsh treatment by the guards, and
had no bearing upon the charge made by
the governor.
At 6 o'clock the committee adjourned
to meet at indianapolis upon the call of
the chairman. The committee will leave
Tor indianapolis on the early morning
train Friday, arriving at Indianapolis at
3:15 ,. N.
1t should be understood that the only
charge against the warden which has any
plausibiity is that of Withholding the
luIua OF tue prison from the state treas
ury and disbursing them himself for the
purposes OF the institution. This was a
technical violation of the law, and is not
denied by the warden. lie admits that
ne has kept on hand part of the funds
0f the prison, but he shOVS that
every penny Of such funds has been used
IA maintenance, repairs and imporove-
ments, and exhibits vouchers for all of
such expenditures. a part Of the prison
was destroyed by fire, when a session Of
The legislature was remote, and the
warden and directors recognized the alb
solute necessity OF restoring the buildings
which had been thus wiped out. The
only way 10 do this was to use the surplus
funds on hand-earnings of the prison
instead OF paying the same into the treas
ury. If this had been done no
money could have been pro-
cured for rebuilding purposes
until the meeting of the legislature-then
twenty months distant-and the making
Of an appropriation. The prison officials
declined 70 sacrifice the interests of the
state to red tape, but went ahead with the
reconstruction of the buildings with full
confidence that the fairness and good
sense of the people would justify them.
Because of this action the operations Of
the prison were not seriously interrupted,
and thousands OF dollars were saved to