The morning call., 1893-06-11
PRISON SUPPLIES.
Contracts Are Awarded at
San Quentin.
LOWEST BIDDERS IGNORED.
Proposals Considered in Secret SeS-
sion by the Prison Directors
Cause Dissatisfaction.
LOWEST BIDDERS IGNORED.

was held to transact routine business.
Charles O'Neil. convicted of burglary in
the second degree and sentenced to three
years imprisonment from San Francisco,
was recommended to Governor Mark ham
for pardon.
A petition signed by Judge Trout. who
sentenced O'NeiI, and also by many prom
inent business men, officials and others,
was presented TO the Governor recently
asking for the pardon of young O'Neil,
who was sent to San Quentin last July.
O'Neil entered a plea of guilty on his
arraignment, and was duly sentenced to
serve three years in San Quentin. He is
son of Policeman O'Neil of the harbor
police. From infancy it is said his mind
was weak, and one month after his incar-
ceration he became insane and had to be
transferred to the Napa Asylum for the
Insane. Though scarcely 20 years of age
his health is undermined. and he is now at
the point of death.
Quan An Chees convicted of murder IN
the first degree and sentenced TO imprison-
ment for life, was also recommended to
the clemency of the Governor. This is
equivalent to pardon, as Governor Mark
ham asked the prison commission fer an
examination lillO Su6t . CaoCy anu ~ lahO
whatever recommendations the board
deemed proper.
Chez is said 10 have been convicted OF
crime of which he was innocent.
He was sentenced on April IS. 1882, to
Imprisonment for life for the murder of
hiEhbinder. All the witnesses for the
prosecution were Chinese. hut the mur-
derer having escaped TO New Zealand. they
swOre away Chee'S life, or freedom for
life. Detectives and policemen who worked
on the murder for which Chez was con-
vicIed were certain that Chow Ali Zee,
known as "Hoodlum" or Drunken jim"
in Chinatown. was the assassin. Chow
escai ed and then his friends substituted
an moffensive and industrious Chinese in
the form of Chee.
Recently efforts in behalf of the perse-
cuted fellow were made by the very men
who managed the prosecution. A petition
to the Governor asking for pardon was
signed by eX-Judge Robert Fefra), who
passed sentence on Chez, and by police
men and detectives.
And now Quan All Chez is reasonably
certain that lie will soon be enjoying the
balmy air of freedom.
All bills presented were approved and
an adjournment was taken till the morning.
When the commission assembled yeSter-
day morning q full board was present
Edgar j. DePue presided.
The office, halls and adjoining rooms
were crowded with merchants aud repre-
sentatjves IF business houses of this city
who had submitted bids for State prison
supplies for the next fiscal year. The large
table around which the board sat was lit
tered with sealed proposals, and it seemed
that tedious session was about 10 begin.
Chairman DePue opened the envelopes,
handed certified checks that came with the
bids to Commissioner j. II. Neff and passed
the sheets Of competitive figures 10 Clerk
J. Y. Els when the last envelope was
opened Commissioner T. DevlD. remem-
bering possibly, the qnarrels and I'M
pleasant scenes of wear ago on the occa-
sion of awarding bids for supplies, moved
that the board should consider the pro-
poSais in executive session.
There we're so many grades of coal from
different mines and countries the board
could OF decide which was cheapest. So
the bidders were called IN to settle the
difficulty.
How many pounds do you furnish to
the ton, gentlemen?" asked Commissioner
Hayes.
The coal men laughed.
'Well, which is it. long or short ton
1000 or 224O pounds?" Hayes added.
''Oh. long t0ns-2240 pounds" they said
simultaneously.
A heated discussion about relative merits
of different Qualities of coal followed. Tie
seven bidders participated. and the more
luty ldikeu dDOut tUdl tl6 IlOIG WtI6 The
Commissioners puzzled.
well, gentlemen" said Commissioner
Neff, in despair, could you not agree
among yourselves which is the cheapest
bid?"
Wed never agree on that proposition" :"
was the reply.
The board went into executive session
again and accepted bids as follows:
For ffannels. cashmere ana blankets-Golden
Gate Manufacturing Company. blankets, So 10
pair; Lew Strauss. cashmere. S9K2 cents
yard: san Jose oolen-miils, flannel, 80 cents.
EuckleS and buttOns-Murphy. Grant q Co.
Canton hanne-Murphy, Grant & Co.. S$4
cents yard.
Common cashmere-Levi Strauss & Co.. 321s
cents; socks, Levi Strauss & Co., 81 % per
dozen.
BedIicklng-Murphy. Grant & Co., IL cents.
1ce-NatlondI lc= Comp my, 81 per ton.
Barley-Jobn f. English, 81 04 per 100
pounds.
Oats-F H. Hammer, 81 81.
COal-White ash steam, Black Diamond Com
Dany, 50 90 per ton.
EGes-Getz Bros 231a cents per dozen.
Butter-"Git Edge" 6o0o pounds, at 24a4
rlckled roll-Phelan & Fish, Oakland, 10
cents per pound.
Provisions Bacon, cheese and Goldfish re-
speclvely, S13 90, 50 80 and 81 40 per 100
pounds; hams and lard, Roth, Blum s. Co.,
Sl3 % and Sll 80: mackerel, Foster s. Co..
S1l Al; pork, Phelan & Fish. S8 20; beans
+. II. Hammer 81 80; Lima beans, Dutard &
Co.. 50 20 per 100 pounds; cabbage. +. Fl.
Hammer. 90 cents; onions. Dalton Bros, 90
cents; potatoes, John f. English. 81 cents.
Late in the afternoon the reporters were
invited into the meeting that they might
hear something about the prisons jute
works. Warden Hale had statement to
make. He said the jute bags made under
his supervision are as good as any made
in California. Last season he so Id 440. 600.
and at present he has expert milmen In
charge of the factory. An order for 80. 600
grain bags was received yesterday from
Mrs. PARROTS ranch on the San Joaquin
River
A letter from Guaymas merchants re-
questing prices and samples of jute bags
for holding salt was read. AS many as
100000 would be ordered, but the offer
was declined, as nothing but grain bags
are made at San Quentin.
There was much dissatisfaction among
the business men present because bids
were considered secretly by the Prison
Commission, and when it was announced
hat lowest bidders did not always win the
complaint grew bitter
b. Sheideman of Brown Bros. &, Co. en-
tered his protest in few miDutes allowed
hBl before he had to rush away to the
train.
''We bid on blankets. gray and all wool.
SIX pounds per pair. 81 90 per pair, which
was the lowest bid, " said he, ''but the con-
tract was awarded to the Golden Gate
Woolen mills for So 10 per pair. State
Prison flannel, single width. twanty.seven
inches. Tor underwear, on 10000 yards we
bid al "a cents yard. ana the contract
was awarded TO the same company for %