The morning call., 1893-09-17
A RULE OF IRON.
Mrs. Nelson Dictator at
the CroCker Home.
COMPLAINT OF HER NEPoTIsM
Controller CoIgan's Deputies Finish
Their Investigation Into State Aid
Matters and Leave.

all those connected with the Old Peoples
Home shall ever be broken. and the lips
which are now tightly sealed shall ever be
opened, the public will have an opportu-
nifty of listening 10 some information,
which, TO say the least, will prove startling.
There are skeletons in the closets of even
this heretofore considered model institu-
ton of its kind, and when they are brought
from their hiding places the wonder will
be not how they came there, but how they
kept their presence so long concealed.
The investigation which has been made
under the direction OF the State Controller
was not in the proper direction to bring
ont anv of these things. The Slate is only
concerned in finding whether or not the
home has obtained any money fraudu-
lently from the general treasury, and is
not even authorized to find how the funds
have been spent so long as the expendi-
ture has been for the support of the in
mates of the home.
The investigation, which was begun on
Friday, was concluded yesterday, and the
TWO gentlemen have returned to Sacra-
mento TO lay theirrepOrt before the State
officials, who. in view OF the facts de-
VeI0ped by the investigation, will make
their decision.
Deputy Controller W. W. Douglass was
seen at the Grand Hotel last evening just
before leaving the city, and had this to
say about his report:
I'VE are through for the present, hav-
ing gone over the books of the home only
with reference TO the matter of State aid.
That is all we are authorized to look after.
Even if the money has been spent eXtrava-
Gantly so long as 1t went for the support
OF the inmates IL is not our pTnvince TO say
anything about il. We were to find out
whether or not more money has been
claimed for the home than il was entitled
TO under Law.
I'VE found the books and accounts in
bad condition. They have been kept by
everybody and anybody, and the majority
of tn ose who have tried IL seemed TO know
very little of bookkeeping. But We man
aged to Straighten them out sufficiently to
show that State aid has been claimed to
the amount of about $1,000 for people who
had bought life lnmateship. AID had paid
any way from $500 to S250O for them.
Now. as to whether the Controller and
the Governor will rule that this is illegal
or not, do not know. While | am sure
mat it is contrary to the spirit of the law,
at the same time believe that the letter
Of the law Will permit it, and that the de-
cisiOn will support the home authorities ID
their claim. Should this be the ruling. it
VIII, doubt. result IN modification of
the law at the next session of the legisla-
ture. and prevent such claims in the
future.
I'VE also found that there we're other
names that should properly have been
placed on the INDECENT list, which were
omitted. But from the loose way in which
the bookkeeping has been dOue, IL is not
to be wondered al, for there Is not even
complete list OF the actual membership of
the home.
Mrs Nelson, the president. was with
US all the time that we were at work, and
seemed perfectly willing 10 assist us in
any way she could. She also showed US
about the home some, and we saw EOw the
old people were cafed for. We went over
the accounts from the time the homo first
occupied its new building. late in 1889, up
10 the last report
For the present our work is done, but
the Controller and myself will probably be
down in a few weeks TO look over matters
again and get new set OF books started in
way that will insure their being properly
kept"
Mrs. Nelson could not deny yesterday
that an investigation had actually arrived
When Secretary Alexander marched
sOiemnly into the boardrOOm in the morn
ing carrying with him enough books to
keep the accounts of wholesale house.
and after the day was over he carefully
restored them TO their place in the safe. it
seemed almost futile TO deny that there
was and had been an investigation. But
1T did not amount 70 anything. Mrs. Mel
son said, and it certainly was not of suffi-
IN the members of the Board of Lady
Managers, for she did not call them.
In fact, 1t was quite star-cha mber
affair. The utmost silence was kept by
everybody. Two of the Board OF Lady
Managers who had read in the morning
papers That the investigation was in prog
ress visited the home in the morning
about the time tnaL CALL reporter hap
pened along, anu they followed Mrs. Nell
son into the room occupied by the repre-
seHtatives of the Controller. In about
three minutes they came out again, and
though they fingered around the home for
couple of hours they were not again sum-
moned before the presence. Whether thev
bad been invited to withdraw or not could
not BE- ascerLained, the lack of communi-
catiyeness before referred to being notice
able in them also; but they were certainly
not invited back again. whatever may
have been the cause Of their so abruptly
withdrawing
But there are other ways of interview
ing members of the home, besides calling
them down into the parl0r, and there
were other members of the Board of LADY
Managers besides those who were at the
home yesterday, and both theSe advan-
tages were improved.
1T is generally understood about the
home that the people who 10 the least talk
ing Will fare the best" said one wise old
gentleman, who has been in the home
tAing of its management. 'We are afraid
To talk, for Mrs. Nelson is all-powerful
and nothing could Withstand her anger, if
she knew who gave out information about
the management She Is the board, tie
committee, the trustees. In fact, the
whole management is in her grasp, and
the people who ought to look after it are
either not aware of how things are man
aged, or they are TO be blamed for allow
ing it.
MRS. Nelson says where everything shall
be bought and how much of it. There is
no bidding for supplies nor any attempt to
get goods where they can be bought the
cheapest, simply because she will not al
low them to come from any place but the
one she selects. The former superinten-
dents and matrons whom we have had
have told me that they could get supplies
l0 per cent below what was paid for them
and get better quality, but the autocrat
OF the home said no."
II was found that for years the pro-
Visions tor the home have been furnished
by the same firm, Nj Mitchell 6c Peterson, on
California street The bill for groceries
amounted to about 5000 month. and it
has frequently been suggested by other
members of the board that il would be