The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-10-13
The Search-Light Turned Upon the
Hitherto UnfathOmed Mystery
of the 81 ,25O Deal.
Hanks and Prentiss Shown in an I'm
enviable Observation-Disclosures
Contract With Palmer.
Prentiss C0nfesses Getting S275-Of.
fcrs to Make Restitution
Sensational Exposures.

" dent Harris, Vive President Myers occu
q pied the chair. There were pressed
q Charles Wegner, Kyle Price, A. j. Shores
Paris Gibson, S. L. Woodbury., Henr
Prentiss, Jr., Will Hanks, DR.. Fairfield
w. II. Pigott, l.. G. Phelps, A. M. Scot,
: George Raban, W. w. Conner, DIR. Swea,
r +. &. Maclay, Ransom Cooper, DIR. Crut
- cher. Matt Dunn, W. NJ. Bole, Aid. Clee
land, Robert Vaughn and Secrctar,
l Jones.
I During the progress of the meetin!
} Will S%ilvcrman, Aid. Roberts, and other
dropped in for a few minutes.
, The session was dramatic in the OK
IRENE and fraught with sensational fea
lures. especially after the presentation
of the report Of the committee on the
bond matter, when Prentiss and Hanks
got into an alteration over the DISPOSE.
ton of 500 of the 5l,22jO drawn from the
school fund to pay fl. b. Palmer lin ac.
cordance with his contract" Then il
was that the eyes of the taxpayers
present became opened to the fact that
something was decidedly wrong that they
were not confronted by mere ~''street
rumors' for were not the two men con
cerned in the deal accusing one another
in public of receiving the spoils:
The report of the committee WIS pre.
sented by Mr.. Shores. 1t is given in full
and speaks for itself.
GREAT FALLS, MoNT, Oct. II. 1893.
To the Board of Trade:
GENTLEMEN-lour committee appoint-
ed to investigate the status of the school
bonds offered for sale by school district
No. l on the 22d day of May last, and
also to investigate the contract made by
the school board with ii. b. Palmer of
Helena, respecting the sale of such
bonds and the payment of $3.50 by the
district on the account of such contract.
respectfully reports:
That on the 18th day of April last. at
a special meeting of the school board at
which there were present trustees
Wright. Gockstetter, Hanks and Prem.
tiss. a resolution was offered by trustee
Gockstetter that a contract for the lith.
ographing Of the bonds be let to II. Il.
Palmer of Helena. The minutes of the
board do not show what action was
taken upon this resolution, but posted
in the minute book next after the record
or the minutes OF this meeting is a for
NAL written contract. signed by III. b. |
Palmer and by Will Hanks in behalf OF
the school district, by the terms of which
Palmer was employed as an attorney
to assist in the preparation and sale of
thn hnnnC Dulpn az ,,.. - - |
have Autographed the necessary bonds
and to prepare all legal papers necessary
and have the same printed so that bid
derH might pass on the legality of the
bonds.
Article fourth of such contract reads
follows:
II. The said II. Is. Palmer agrees TO
tind a purchaser or will purchase said
on the day Of sale, and agrees TO
pay FOR SAID bonds in cash OF approved
exchange on New York. Helena or Chi
,ago, Immediately on delivery Of said
TO him in the city of Great Falls.
and will pay for said bonds,
principal and accrued interest, a prem
um of not less than $3.50 or a total of
'Sl,2JO."
The contract further provided that the
%rustces should advertise, and should sell
he bonds or May 22d. 1888. and have ,
hem ready for delivery on that date.
The sixth article Of the contract pro. a..
'lded as follows: l
sd. The said board of trustees are to ,
,ay TO the said III. Il. Palmer in cash at :
he time such bonds are taken 10 and j
aid for, as full compensation as attor- ;
Iey's fees and for guaranteeing the sale :
+ the said bonds, and all other services :
.ereinbefore set forth to be performed,
he sum of twelve hundred fifty dollars e
81 ,25O)." ;,
The board also reserved the right to Y
EJECT all bids and sell the bonds at the
ighest bid made to Palmer, il he desired !
D take them at that price. Notice that
be bonds would be sold on the ODD day
I May was afterward published by the T
GARD in -four newspapers published at :.
ireat Falls, and on the 22d of Nav the
onds were offered for sale. w. j. Hays =,
Son of Cleveland Ohio. made a bid of =
ar and $3.50 premium. There were e
everal other bids made, but they were !
II conditioned upon the bonds being 7
elivered in installments at various sub. Z
dates and for a less amount than
he Hays e. Sons bid. II. Il. Palmer sub
the following written bid: =.
"May 22d, 1889.
ees OF school district number !. CAST
cade county, Montana: .
Gentlemen: For the school bonds !"
fered for sale this day ! will give $780,
10 and a premium OF 81, 300, and will C
up and pay for such bonds as fol /
'ws: On June LIST, $4,000; on June "
Ith- Biz ON. m .Julv lot S1E nOO, ~