Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-19
$500 FOR EXTRA SERVICES.
The Story of An "Unsolicited Gift" Made
 to Warden Chamberlain.

to Warden Chamberlain.
 w. s. Bronson is prominent merchant of Hartford and was prison director for several years. His term of office expired in 1891, and he was not reappointed, Warden Chamberlain claiming that he was not friendly to the Chamberlain methods.
 ''I do not understand" said MT Bron- son to World reporter, "why the com mittee, If it was really anxious to get the facts, did not call me as a witness. I was chairman of the commission which built the new prison. When the work was done the members of the commission put in a claim for services. John R. Hills took the matter up for us and succeeded in putting through claim for s6,O0Q.
 ''lt was signed by Governor Bulkeley and the money ordered paid When I asked MT Hills for list of the benefi- charles in order that I might make out the checks to them, he furnished me with the following list: w. S. Bronson, $2 ,000; R. T. Hewitt, $1,250; E. K. Hunt estate, $1, ,125; G. w. P. McCann, $500; Samuel E. Chamberlain, $500; Buck & Eggleston, ,$250; J. R. Hills, ,S275
 ''I asked with surprise what Warden Chamberlain was to get $500 for, and was told that it was all right. It had bSCh CAuSACu bJ LhC PO"0Ao IhclO OC l that is, by the governor. So on July 9, 1889, drew a check for $500 in favor of Chamberlain and sent it to him. He sent it back at once, declaring that it was trick of mine to get him into | trouble. Subsequently,, on July 14, he sent for the check again and kept it. "Some little time after this I saw Dean Wayland, the president of the | board of directors, and told him about | the check. He said that he could not be- lieve his ears. Bnt he found on inquiry that it was true. He evidently con | vinced Chamberlain that it was inn proper to accept such a gift, for in a subsequent report 1 found $500 credited to the state.
 l This, thought was the end of the business, but when Director Murray went on the witness stand before the in- l vestigating committee he testified that the board of directors had voted the warden $500 for extra services during the building of the new prison. So W hen the warden turned over the sum to the state there was still a string to it, evidently
 l Mir Bronson says he has the figures to prove that under Chamberlain's man. agement it cost $15, ,000 year more to run the prison than it did under his predecessor.
 When Senator Root was asked if the committee was going to take Mir Bron- sons testimony, he said: 'No, I think not, If we have not taken enongh evi- dence now to prove Chamberlain unfit to hold his office, we would not prove him so if we sat for six months more."
 Regarding the prison investigation, a correspondent at Hartford writes that if the republicans of the Investigating committee should vote to remove Gener- al Chamberlain, an effort will be made to direct matters so that John I. Hutch inson of Essex, collector of internal rev. enue for this state and Rhode Island will succeed General Chamberlain.
 But there is possibility of a snag in the scheme of putting MT Hutchinson at the head of the state prison. General Chamberlain is a republican. It is
 barely possible that Governor Morris may take it into his head to name enough democrats for the new board tc
 keep the majority on the democratic side for a few years. If Genera Chamberlain should have to vacate it iE X doubtful if the democrats would select ; Republican to succeed him.