The San Francisco call., 1895-07-18
CarelesSness in Keeping the
Books Was All That He
Unearthed.
ALL WILL BE FxoNERATED.
One Man Gets Into Disgrace by
Prevaricatlng to the Gov
ernOr.

|
Quentin, presumably to inspect the prison,
proved this afternoon to have been caused
by charges of jugglery with the output OF
the jutemill having been lodged with the
Governor. So conclusive did the accusa-
tions appear, that Governor Budd lost no
time in hurrying to the prison to look into
the matter. However, after an investiga-
tion lasting through the afternoon and
late into the night, it was evident that
there would be complete exoneration OF
the persons accused of fraud; indeed, the
only offense that can be laid against them
appears to be gross carelessness in the
keeping of the books of the jutemill, and
the fact that one of the accused INDUCED
in a mild form of prevarication to the
| executive, and what is more, was forced
into an ignominious confession that he
had done so. The whole affair has de-
veloped into complete 6asco, and the
minds of the officials at the capital and at
the prison have been relieved of weighty
load of care.
The charges made to the Governor were,
in effect, that large quantities of jute owned
| by private individuals was being run
through the prison mill and manufactured
into bags, the State paying the expense and
! somebody else pocketing the profit. 1t
was also stated that no entry. either of the
private iute received or of the bags manu-
| factured from it. was made in the public
| books of the institution, but that private
| book was kept in which was shown the
actual amount of jute run through the
mill. 1t was alleged that the profits from
| illicit manufacture were shared by ring,
which included several prominent prison
officials. In support of the statements
made book, which purported to be one
of the books of the private set, was shown
! the Governor. The information was con-
veyed to Mr.. Budd last Sunday evening,
and of SO great Importance did he consider
| it that he decided on an immediate per-
sonal investigation.
The Governor came over from San Fran
cisco this morning on the Harbor Commits
sioners' tug Governor Markham. With him
were Attorney General Fitzgerald, Adiu-
tant-General Barrett, Director L. J. Mad
dox of the Preston School at lone, Harbcr
Commissioner Colnon, Code Com missioner
Daily of Ventura and Thomas A. Lewis,
expert of the Board of Examiners.
Mrs. Colnon, her daughter, Hazel, her
niece, Miss Edna Scott, and Louis Haste
State Superintendent of Tugs and
Dredgers, were also of the party.
Immediately upon their arrival at San
Quentin the Governor and Expert Lewis
began their investigation of the prison.
Governor Budd did not go direct to the
jutemill, but looked over the commissary
department, under Major Thorp, praised
the system of bookkeeping there in use
and promised to have it adopted in all the
other State institutions. The stables, the
sewers and the interior of the prison came
in for their share of attention.
After luncheon with Warden Hale the
Governor and Mr.. Lewis began the
investigation. The jutemill was vis-
books. He was particular to ask if all the
books kept had been submitted.
In Warden Hales Office, Shipping Clerk
Vanderbilt, Superintendent of the Jute-
mill A. s. Butterworth and Prison Book
keeper G. j. Walden were called on to ex-
plain their accounts. Walden, by the way,
formerly served term in the prison for
forgery com united in San Joaquin County,
and Governor Budd protested at recent
meeting of the prison board against Wal
dem s employment in a confidential capa-
city. After some long explanations the
Governor asked if any other books were
kept. Vanderbilt, Walden and Butter
worth each denied that any others were in
existence.
els not such book as this kept?" asked
the Governor, indicating memorandum
book bound in sheepskin.
Warden Hale also denied any knowledge
of such an account-book.
Under close questioning, however, Van
derbilt produced similar book. He said
it was his private book, kept as a check on
State books. His explanation was given
in very confused manner, and it was
apparently very unsatisfactory to the Gov
ernor. The awkward silence was broken
only by the Governors sharp questions
and Vanderbilt's confused replies, and
Warden Hale and the directors, who had,
up to this time, been anxious to help in an
explanation of the accounts, sat back in
their chairs and viewed Vanderbilt with
suspicious eyes. None of them had known
of that book, and Butterworth and Walden
also professed ignorance of the matter
OU partial COil pdlioOu VI tnc pIlNdL6 ana
State books it was possible to find the
amounts in the private book entered in
the State book, but the dates of the two
entries did not agree. The State books
had been wretchedly kept. Entries for
1898 were made on pages Immediately
preceding those bearing entries for 1892.
In one case the private book showed
900 sacks on hand, where the State books
showed only 5000. After an hours hard
work it was found that an error on two
years in the date was the cause of the dis
crepancy.
In the evening more private books were
found. They were kept by James Faulk-
ner, foreman of the jutemill. Some of
them were in shorthand. He explained
that they were the records of the amount
of jute which passed through the mill.
They will be compared with the State books
tomorrow.
The Governor said tonight that he had
come to the conclusion that bad book
keeping had caused the misapprehension
resulting in the charges.
SMITH WILL BE HANGED,
Governor Budd Confined That His Sem