The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-10
GOT ALL THEY ASKED.
The Changers Steady the Price
Of State Jute-Bags.
Prison Directors Will Sell Half Million a
Seven and Three-Eigh ths Cents,
Quarterly Finances.

At the monthly meeting OF the State
Board Of Prison Directors, held yesterday
Afternoon at San Quentin. a committee from
the San Joaquin grange appeared TO request
that something defuite be decided upon by
the board 10 govern the sale Of 1ute bags.
This committee comprised j. d. Hoffman of
Lodi, c. II. Wakefield and j. L. Beeeher, Of
Stockton The effect OF the two hours
session WAS TO continue the existing ar
rangements, all of which the committee unan-
imously consented and urged Hereafter
bags will be sold in lots of not more than
5000 each, to farmers whose identity as such
is certified by the PoStmaSters where they
get their mail, and at the present price o +
TH cents EACH
Letters from D. A. 0strom and Congress-
man Berry of the Third District, both OF
whom are members of the State Grange
committee, were read. Both advocated the
sale of bags at from 10 to 20 per cent above
the cost of manufacture TO farmers only in
limited quantities. They declared that SELL
ing at the market prices is decidedly wrong.
Reference TO list Of applicants for bags
showed 140. of whom % had applied for
quantities varying from 10000 TO 1900.
TO BENEFIT FARMERS.
Director Sonntag agreed with the COM
mittee that the purposes OF the jute-mill bill
was to benefit the farmers and prevent CON-
blnatiOns, and opposed counting the MAIN
tenance of the prisoners in the cost of man
ufacture. but he declared the bill was Of
the nature Of class legislation in favor Of
the farmers, and was consequently class
legislation. On this showing the commit
tee asked the price of 7A cents be main
tanned, and on Sonntag's motion the War
den was authorized to sell 100000 more
bags. Fifteen hundred imperfect bags were
then sold to the committee at 6-centtrate.
Warden Hale reported that Captain Biz
lens house was unlnhablted and unfit for
repairs, and he was authorized to build
another at a cost not to exceed $1,000. lie
also reported be had discharged several
guards and substituted in their places
Thomas III. Burns of Solano County, p. III.
Moler OF Sonoma, E. S. Kent OF San Benito
and f. Z. Forsythe OF Orange; also that he
had sent convict Michael Gallery to Ag-
news.
The financial statement of available
funds was as follows after three months
business: General appropriation, S53, 456 81 !;
State prison fund, SCI, 2G5 %; jute revolving
fund, S76,060 80; front gate building fund,
s5l2 70; lower gate building fund. 40 cents
roohng cells. S21; land fund, $500; i'm
pIlsonment fund, 5000; new jutemill, $751;
1S2 "a; cash on deposit in bank, S25. 1863 90 I;
cash IN vault, $500 81; total, 1896, 2S7 81.
THE KING OF FoRGERs."
George Bidwell, the king of forgsrs,"
"Ili oSfCldt dooiStdulSg ROL away WIFI
El,O00. COO from the Bank of England, was
present with request that the brother of
George Mcdonald, one of his pals, who is
incarcerated in San Quentin for being found
In possession OF die of the bank note of
the Bank of England about four wears ago.
be given the benefit Of the boards recon-
mendation for pardon, but the board re-
fused to take up the affair John McDon-
aid, the prisoner, now known as No. 1922
was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
Peter Hall, life prisoner, Christopher
Myrtle and George Ross. tme men, were
sentenced 10 three months solitary confine-
ment, sewing bags by hand, with only an
hour daily Of exercise. This was for an at
tempt they made to escape by tunneling
under the jutemi1l.
John McAdoo, who was sentenced nine
years ago for 10 years for shooting man la
quarrel over lot in cemetery, and who
escaped after nearly three years service,
was recovered recently in Stockton and
called before the directors. He told the
story OF his escape, how he had gone to
report TO guard who was absent from his
post, then walked away. He went to San
Rafael where he changed clothes; then he