Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-02-08
OVER.
The Conclusion of the P~enitentiary
Investigation Reached at
Noon Yesterday.
Dispositions Presented from st. Pau
Firms IS to the Alleged
Rake-OH Deals.
Nothing Brought Out In the Whole
Testimony to Show Any
Wrong-Doing.

GAom SuAOdy o Ahl1ysI
investigation Finished.
The senatorial investigation of the
charges which have been made concern
ing the management Of the state peni-
Tertiary for the four years last past, was
concluded at moo yesterday. The tax
ing OF testimony was resumed at about
1880, and at noon all of the evidence On
the part OF the prosecution was in. The
defense put in no testimony-in fact,
nothing was brought out by the prose-
cution which required any more defense
than the cross-examipation of the sew
eral witness. At noon the committee
adjourned, subject to the call of the
chairman, after ordering a transcript of
all testimony taken. The report of the
committee being prepared yesterday, and
will be presented ere long.
The first matter taken up yesterday
was as to the matter of the purchase of
coal for the institution, wherein it was
alleged that more coal had been reported
to the state as purchased than had been
actually received. Agent Scott gave
some testimony on this point Friday and
yesterday the prosecution called War
den Boucher and Ex- Warden Haggart to
testify IN the matter. Both of these tes-
titled that never in the past four years
had there been any irregularities in the
purchase OF coal; that no reports we're
turned in for any cars of coal which
were not furnished, and that the state
paid for no coal which it had not re-
ceived.
While Warden Boucher was On the
stand Attorney Hildreth asked him sew
eral questions as to the relative con-
snptlon of meat at the pen, under his
W regime and that of his predecessor.
1t was stated Friday by the prosecution
that vouchers showed a great deal more
meat to have been purchased in 1912
than in 1884, although the population
the latter years was larger. Warden Bou-
cher testified that when he took charge
Of the institution about 20 quarters of
beef had been turned over to him. That
IN 1893 he had started 70 raise hogs, and
that those Of them which had been fat.
tened and killed, with what cattle had
been killed for beef, which belonged to
the institution, had amour ted to 10000
or $4,000 pounds of dressed beef. This
evidence was brought out to show that
the raising Of a part of the meat used on
the %penitentiary grounds in 1884 would
explain the lesser purchases.
Then came the matter of the St, Paul
dispositions. To explain these, it is
necessary to state that the prosecution
had evidence from Orr Sanders, private
secretary to ok Governor Shortridge, that
early in 1893 he had gone down to St.
Paul to iDvestigat some matters in rela-
ton to purchases by the board. That he
had discovered, by conversations had
with members of several firms, including
L.. T. Ordway, OF the firm of Rogers &
Ordway, dealers in pipe and iron sup
Plies; II. N. Hodgman, of the St.. Paul
Rubber Company, and others, that the
board of trustees or the warden had Sc
cured a rake-off of Is per cent on $685.
worth of rubber hose, 81 a ton on what
pipe and iron goods were purchased, and
1t was also alleged that in the purchase
OF a buggy from Mast, Buford & Bur-
we'll, a similar rake-of had been secured.
70 get at these allegations, General
Cowan, Colonel Robinson and Mr.. San
ders made a trip to St. Paul a few days
ago, to get dispositions from the persons
concerned. These were introduced and
read by Mr.. Cowan yesterday.
The first was that of J. H. Burwell,
who is general manager OF the Mast,
Buford & Burwell Company. He de.
posed that he had sold the buggy in
question to the ~penitentiary. That it
was sold for about $175 or $3.50. That it
was an expensive rig, aud the profit
upon it at this figure was very small.
That there had been no division or rake
OIL with any officer Of the penitentiary.
He did not know whether he had met
Mr.. Sanders before or not, but did know
that he had eve told him anything as
to a rake-of or commission being paid
by the firm.
H. N. Hodgman gave like testimony
as to the sale of rubber hose. The St.
Paul Rubber company had sold the
hose, and had received all the money for
which a bill was presented. There was
no rake-of or division of profits, as
alleged by the prosecution. And no
statement to that effect had been made
by Mr.. Sanders, or to any one else.
LIP. Ordway, OF Rogers & Ordway,
testified as to sales of pipe. He thought
the sale had been made by correspond.
ence, and not to any members of the
board, personally. There had been no
rake-of paid to any member OF the
board or to the warden. He did not
think he had aver met Mr.. Sanders, and
had not told him that any commission
| had bean maid IN INV ono npop kho cole