The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-26
ROTTEN PRISON BUSINESS
Peculiar Money Transaction Between
Patten and Director Mcdonald.
Everybody Seemed to Be Making Their "Bit"
Out of the Prison, Even the Steward RuR-
ming Boarding House on State Grub.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal
JEFFERsoNvILLE, Ind, Prison South,
Jan. 25.-The JOINT Senate and House COM
mittee. investigating the affairs of the
Southern prison. did not get together until
10 O'clock this morning. 1t was the coming
over from Louisville by ones and twos,
after late sleeping, that delayed the pro-
ceedings. but when the committee was
ready to begin Senator Griffith, for the ma
jority, recalled the action yesterday in
shutting out the minority from representa-
ton by an expert accountant on the sub.
committee to examine Warden Patterns 40
counts. He rather surprised the minority
by moving that it be allowed
such an expert of its own choosing.
Senator Mcdonald was willing If John w.
Coons were barred. Representative Daily
thought the minority ought to be permit
ted to select whom its representatives
pleased, whether it were Coons or any
other man. Senator Loveland did not
know why Senator Mcdonald should be SO
sensitive In regard to Coons. Warden Pat
ten and Coons once examined Jack How
ards accounts. and the examination was
satisfactory. Mcdonald did not think the
examination was satisfactory, as COOns, he
believed brought the Howard embezZle-
ment up to too high figure. But senator
McDOnald'a objections did not count, and In
a jitfy the Griffith motion prevailed. Sem
ator Lovelsnd and Representative Linde-
muth at once telegraphed to Senator Boyd
at Indianapolis to send down an expert.
will it be Coons?" Senator LOveland
was asked. He smiled and remarked:
Perhaps"
MoNTGOMERY'S SOFT SNAP.
Mr.. Ewing. the ex-deputy, came on the
stand for further questioning by Senator
Loveland, who recalled his attention to
steward Montgomery boarding the guards
at SIS month. The Senator wanted TO
know from where the provisions for such
board came, and learned that bread, po-
tatOes and homlny came from the states
supplies. Part of the meat also comes from
that source. The steward bought with his
own means the ham and steaks,
and occasionally roasts. The receipts
from ten guards he once calculated. lnclud-
ing board of contractors. at S23O month.
The stewerd in the fall OF 1859 told the wit
ness that he had balance of $40 q month
he was turning in TO the State but Ewing
on examining the record could find nothing
to bear out that statement. Montgomery
also told him that he was paying 50
month to Mrs. Patten. the warden's wife.
for the use of his room in the house ocou.
pied by the warden ana his family. The
house belongs to the State. He also said
Montgomery's horses were grOOmed by con-
victs. shortly after Ewing came to the in
stituton Montgomery told him that he and
Warden Patten gave director w. Is. Nc
Donald 500. Montgomery signed the pay
roll for McDonald's pay.
w. +. Patten, the warden's nephew. was
on the payroll of the guards. He was at
tending school at the time. The witness
said ne knew that TO be a fact, and. fur
Their, that he was on the roll OF the men at
work on the sewer, but the warden told
him not 10 keep a record of his nephew's
time. He thought be was paid S55 month.
The warden's son Clarence. sixteen Years
old, was employed In showing visitors
through the institution. Director Slater
once said TO Ewing that he had received
$50 from contractor w. ID. Patten for
Henry Berner. q life convict The money
was to be used in procuring pardon for
Berner, so Slater remarked.
With this the witness was turned over to
the majority. questions being asked. by
Senator Griffith. Ewing used in his ties
mony a note book. and said it's cOnten Is
were made ND from notes he wrote out con-
corning incidents In the prison at the time
they felt Patten was not treating him
right, and he began then 10 keep his notes
WANTED TO SEE THAT BOOK.
Senator Griffith asked for Ewing's note
book, and called his attention to the Tryon
case. TryOn was the lunatio who dlcd in
the hospital after q terrible whipping.
Senator Griffith wanted to know whether
Thomas Tryon was not discharged from
the prison in 1888. year before Ewing
came To the institution. Ewing did
not know of such Tryon. but he
knew Tryon was crazy, was whipped
and died in the prison hospital
The warden ordered the witnesst to tie Wig
gins up by the wrists. Witness protested.
saying the convict was epieptic and
that he would faint under the punishment
Virgins had tainted before when whipped
and he told the warden that he wonld ''cut
| such caper again. On one occasion he
| told the directors about the punishment.
| Ii was ut their meeting in July, 1S92. The
directors sent for him. and Director Slater
! said IL w as Understood he had been CRITICS.
/ ing the warden's treatment of the convicts.
| Ewing denied that he said TO steward
/ Montgomery IN the presence of convicts,
| on his return from Daviess county. that ne
had got $50. which he held In mis- hand,
from that county. He did not then say
this WI as a rotten age. and that Que had IA
/ right 10 grab NIL he conld.
After dinner the cross-examination tur ned
I to the matter of Patten drawing per cent t.