The morning call., 1893-05-15
PAID TWO PRICES.
Inquiry Into Frauds at
Yountville.
ROYCE HAD COMPANIONS.
Indications That r-e treasurer Was
Not the Only One Concerned
in the Peculations.
Special to THE MoRNrNe CALL.


YoUNTYILLE, May 14.-It Is more than
probable that several men, heretofore as
high in authority in the councils OF the
Vetarans' Home at Yountville as was ever
Colonel c. Z. X. Royce, the defauiting
treasurer, will be found wanting when
weighed in the balance. That the inves-
tigating committee will sooner or later
prefer criminal charges against certain OIL
ficers and ex-officers OF the home IS al
nitted by members of the committee.
There will be civil suits as well, and at
present the prospect is that Royce Will not
stand alone much longer as the one scape-
grace.
"WUrse and more of it" expresses tersely
the results of the investigation made by the
committee into the affairs of the home here
today. 1t was the second Sunday that the
committee has spent at the home. and its
investigations were far more thorough and
searching than upon the occasion OF It's
first visit 1t has now become not qUes
tion of who is guilty but how many are
guilty, and the men who predicted that the
committee would use whltewash literally
in Its investigations are free to admit that
they are most agreeably disappointed in
the way the investigation is being con-
ducted.
Every member of the committee was on
hand early this morning when the train
arrived, and with them was General
Barnes, who has done most of the real
work of the investigation so far and who
has supplied himself with facts and fl 5ures
that are beginning to make some of the
directors aud ex-dlrectors of the home very
uncomfortable.
No one, even the directors. now attempt
to deny that the home has beef grossly
mismanaged for years and more
especially during the past two or three
years. That goods, money. material and
even land have been stolen from the home
is now not conjecture but a fact proved
beyond question.
Genera; Barnes and Messrs. Coop, Full
ler Deasy, TAFT and Fletcher resumed
the investigation by taking up the question
of the maintenance supplies furnished the
home. The committee had a number of
price lists Of the staple goods furnished,
which had been made out for them by
merchants in this city and which covered
prices Of goods scheduled at stated times
for two years back.
The principal work dOHe was to compare
these prices with the prices charged by
the firms who have been supplying the
hone, and the result was anything but
flatteriDg to the chairman of tie committee
on supplies, who made all the contracts.
1t was clearly shown that not only has the
home been paying all the way from 10 TO
so per cent more for its supplies than the
market price, but it was also shown that
the firms that have been supplying the
goods have at times utterly ignored their
bids and have charged as high as 20 per
cent more than the prices at which they
agreed to furnish the articles.
1t was ascertained as we'll that instead
of standard goods, such as are called for
in the bids and which The firms agreed to
furnish, goods of unknown quality, bear
ing only the label of the firm that sent
them, were supplied. The stureroom at
the home is full of just such goods to-day.
An expert in groceries accompanied the
committee, and, after a careful examina-,
Z ton, he declared that the coffee was
neither Rio nor Java; the -four was
second grade; the sugar was not as called
for in the bids; the rice was inferior, and
most of the canned goods were of an alb
solutely unknown quality. Samples of all
the staple groceries were taken and will
be submitted to experts to-day for further
examination.
Then the committee took up the work of
comparing the prices paid by the Veterans
Home aud the prices paid by other institu-
tions, both public and private, in the State
for the same grade of supplies 1t was
found that the home has been paying from
10 to 80 per cent more for its supplies than
any other institution in the State.
The question naturally arises. who has
been benefited by this system Of shame
less waste of the homes money, other than
the firms holding the contracts?
The committee. while not yet ready to
make public all the evidence it possesses.
does not hesitate TO say that certain direc
tors will have to explain why, for over two
years. they bought no groceries at retail for
their own consumption in their homes.
Considerable quiet detective work has
and is being done in conjunction with the
investigation, and the efforts to locate the
Leaks" through which the money for the
home has wasted away has disclosed the
fact that while Royce got most of it there
are others who got away with some nice
pickngs.
1t is hard to get reliable testimony from
For some reason they are split up into
factions and one faction will deny the
statements of another faction, even when
almost absolute proof of their truth stares
them in the face. One thing is certain.
and that is that the ex-commandant of the
home has not friend among the inmates
and as much rs Nerriman is abused Dmp-
fel is praised. A great change is MOTTO
obI in ba 81
charge of it, 1t is cleaner, better order is
kept among the men anG something like
discipline is being maintained in all de-
partments.
The much discussed canteen is probably
doomed. The investigating committee will
recommend either its abolshment or else
the establishment of rigid rules governing
the sale OF liquor to inmates The check
system at present in vogue will certainly
be abolished and the men. il the canteen
runs, will have to buy their tickets, giving
them only so many drinks per day. in ad-
vance.
After the long session OF the day the in
vestlgatlng committee. without warning
anybody of its Intention, started on tour
Of inspection through the home and went
over il from garret to cellar. The commit
teemen found abundant evidence of past
neglect, but stated that all is being done at
present that can be done to remedy the
evils existing when the committee was
called into service.
On Monday night the committee will
meet in San Francisco and again on
Wednesday night. II announces that as
soon as it concludes its examination into
the supplies question. it VIII take up the
cases of individuals ard go on until every
body and everything has been investigated.
|
GARCIA WAS KILLED.