The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1892-03-19

l 'A'~sSS ~ ~ As~uh syPSA0slLD noutuG
ton, 10 be according to contract and I
he Of good quality OF iron. well adaI
ted TO the purposes for which 1t wa
intended. II Il true that II is possibl
for the jail plate TO be cut through wit
saw or with cold chisel, as, indeed
any good iron can be; but saw can b
used only after hole has been cut Il
the plate by the use Of a cold chisel am
hammer, and ~ that would make
great deal of noise aud would attrac
the attention Of the jailer, it is not q
all likely that 1t would he used as
means Of escape by any of the prison
er. We may say In this connection
that 1t has been proven TO US by tn,
testimony Of Robert Mann, of Ceur d.
Alene, that the piece Of iron exhibite,
1t CGur dAIe0e, aud pronounced b.
Mr.. Mann TO be an inferior quality O
scrap iron. did not in fact come from
the jail cells at all. it being eviden
from the size and shape Of 1t that i
could not have come from the hol,
made in the ceiling for the introduction
OF a stoyepipe. As far as the securit,
OF the Jail is concerned, and its fines,
for the purpose for which it WAS inten
ded, We are satisfied that the publ.
mind can rest secure. The county la,
a good jail in everything but the build
surrounding it.
Another charge brought, In that con
nection, was that the price paid for the
jail was excessive, and that the County
Commissioners or some of them must
have received money from the persons
furnishing the Jail rs a consideration
for awarding the contract TO him. The
charge Of bribery stands without the
slightest particle Of proof before us
aud It Is therefore only justice to the
County Commissioners to say the Grand
jury acquit them Of any such charge.
In the investigation as 10 the cost of
the jail We have had placed before us
ai'idnsits and letters from different
county officials in other counties In
this and neighboring states. and have
telegraphed 10 and received answers
from other county officers and from
the Pauly Jail Company, Of ~. Louis.
These atiidariis and kilograms do not
furnish proof AS entirely satisfactory
as could be desired AS the cash price
OF such cells, or supplies of any kind.
will largely depend on the market value
OF the warrants in which such payments
are made: and il was impossible for
us TO ascertain the market value Of the
warrants of the counties concerning
whose purchases We obtained such in
formation. However. from such infor.
nation AS We have been able 10 80 OBJ
tain, we are satisfied that the jail cells
purchased by kootenai county were
not bought nj a price so great as 10 ex.
cite suspicion AS to the good faith of
the transaction. after making due al.
lowance for the fact that they were
bough, with the deprecated warrants
Of the county, having a market value
u about eighty cents on the do.,z1
The firm Of lIossam & Curtin received
Tor said cells the sum Of Si5.475 i'm
county warrants. Figured at the rate
II eighty cents, such sum would pro-
luce the sum OF sIs.3s0 cash. which
would be the cash price Of the cells.
IL Is a conclusion not 10 be gotten away
rom that In this transaction as in
s:hcrs where the county is Obliged to
'ay for It's supplies or work in depreci.
'ted county warrants. the person fur.
iishing such supplies or work will
,harge such sum rs will net him the
'alue Of his goods or Of his labor.
While we have no proof before us
hat the price obtained by Hossam 4
'urtin for the cells WAS excessive, we
10 not, however. wish to be understood
Is saying that the county might not
ave purchased Jail cells equally as
'ood for less money II the County
commissioners had followed the plain
of the law requiring them to
dvcrtise for proposals TO furnish the
ellis, thus placing the dealers in such
rticlcs In competition with each other
or the trade of the county. This duty
njoined upon them by law the County
commissioners totally neglected. and
re condemn them for such neglect Of
uty. They claim that they were ad-
ised by their legal advisor, NJ. W. Mus. |
rove, at the time that they could let |
he contract without advertising for |
ids: but the law is 80 plain on that
nbject that wether this is true or not.
furnishes no excuse for the neglect |
the County Commissioners In that
ngari. and We trust that their acton,
ill not be taken rs precedent in the
nture.
One of the charges made against the
oun,y Commissioners was that the
applies furnished by the Ceur d'.Alcne
leCantile Go. and used In the work
n the Santa Anna road were charged
'r ut a rate that was excessive, and
nat no opportunity had been given
ther merchants TO bid on such sup
lies. We tind that this latter charge
not true and that at least one other
rm had been invited to furnish such
,pplics but declined to do so, We
SO find, after critical examination Of
'e hills IF said company, that the
,pplies therein charged for were fur
shed at regular rates, plus an addition
ahnnf iifinnn or fwnnfN ,,nr cant