The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-28
w,raen French Forced 20 Tell.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind, JAM 26.-The
tee arrived in this city on the l.. Il. q W.
train last evening, about two hours late, in
the face Of bnaing snow H sIofm' Iney
they were met by. a committee or CITIZENS
and after a lunch introductions followed.
This morning about clock the committee
went to the prison, where work, in earnest
began. The committee organized by chooS-
ing Represent attvetC ulbert chairman, then
appointed two subcoininittees, one consist
ing of Senators Wishard and Watson and
Representative gilbert, whose duty it was
to examine the books and records The
other COMMITTEES was composed of Senators
Vail Mcdonald and schneck and RepreSen-
tatives Allen and Hester.
1t was the duty of this second committee
to investigate contracts, especially the BIZ
cycle contract Senator Vail conducted the
bicycle contract, and to say, he went over
the warden with curry comb is not putting
it too strongly The committee a tt DEVELOPED
Warden French advertised for bids for the
contracting of a number of convicts to
which he received two answers, one from J.
one from J. G. Mart, both of which were re-
jected as being too low. From this until
published looking to the letting of contracts.
Warden French claimed to the committee
to have written many letters and received
answers to them regarding contract labor,
but on being asked 10 produce copies OF the
letters or answers to the. same he could not
produce single one, saying it was not GUS
tomary to produce such papers.
In August there was made a lnemoran-
dun of an agreement for convict labor but
with no signature whatever TO it, and no
bond was executed: nothing but verbal
contract At this time, at the suggestion of
the Governor, the warden says he erected
mits, cost s., 1G0 On Sept. 6, William c.
Smith, manager of the bicycle factory,
came in with a crowd Of seventeen expert
mechanics and began to set up machinery
and make tools. Then, on Oct l, two con-
tracts were executed one for one hundred
convicts and the other for fifty, both with
the same person-W. J. Ball. These con-
per man for the first five year, and 81 cents
for the second five years On Oct 3 a bond
was executed securing both contracts.
The warden remarked to the committee
that he was not such bad Democrat, and
that he and the whole prison force sup
ported the entire Republican ticket in the
municipal election last spring. The commit
tee then spent an hour or two inspecting
the prison, under the guidance of the war
den who explained the features Of the
various departments calling special atten-
ton to the insane ward in the hospital. He
called the attention OF the legislators to the
necessity of some means for separating in
sane from sane convtctS, and illustrated his
remarks by bringing out an insane prisoner
who is utterly devoid OF intellect, and has
not spoken word for months. Some of
the committee took special interest in the
hospital from the fact that Theodore p
Haughey is the guardian angel of that de-
partment. He was found at the bedside of
a sick man and was greeted by a number
of friends among the committeeman The
committee finished it's labors about o'clock
home by way of Chicago, but others will
sunday