The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-10
PRISON COMMISSIONERS MET, BUT
SAID NOTHING ABOUT AN
ELECTION.
THE GOVERNOR MAY ASSIST
HYPNOTIC INFLUENCE HAS MADE
TROUBLE IN SAN QUENTIN
PRISON.

San Quentin Prison when the Board of
State Prison Directors met yesterday. AS
Warden Hale's term will expire on April
1, it was generally expected that the board
would elect a successor or probably re-
elect him for the next four years.
The Prison Commissioners would not
discuss the subject and left earlier than
usual after hastily transacting business of
the month. Director Ivory said he did not
know exactly how it stood.
The election was never mentioned" he
said, land | don't know what the board
intends doing. This was the regular
monthly meeting, and Mr.. Hale's term of
office will end on April L. But he can
hold office until reelected or a successor is
appointed"
Mr.. Ivory was asked about rumors to the
effect that Governor Budd may make
changes in the board ''for cause"
"Well, I've heard it said, he replied,
that l was not legally appointed, because
my appointment was made when there was
no vacancy on the board. The same thing
obtains in Mr. Neff's case. Then [ under
stand it is charged that some of the board
supplied material to the prisons, which is
a violation of the rules, and also that they
travelled on railroad passes. Either charge
would be sufficient grounds for the Gov
ernor to take action, if he so wished. But
| don't know that there is any truth in
them"
From a legal point of view the constitu-
ton is considered so delightfully."- uncertain
regarding appointments of prison directors
or wardens that precedent may cut no
figure in the Governors action. Governor
Stoneman changed four members of the
board, making it Democratic, after he took
office. The only director he did not move
was John Boggs. Then Governor Bartlett
made no changes, but when Waterman
succeeded him the board was turned upside
down. Warden Shirley, who had been re-
elected for a second term, was removed
after holding office seven weeks on the
second term. His place was filed by Gen
eral McComb, who was moved by Mark
ham three years and three months later.
In the summer of 1883 when Stoneman
changed the board to suit himself, the four
deposed directors fought for six months to
bring their cases into court and to regain
Office, having been appointed for ten years
and still having some years to serve. They
failed, however as the Governor is sole
Judge of the cause OF removal.
Prison officials have not the slightest
doubt that Governor Budd can pursue the
course taken by Stoneman should he wish
to make changes or appointments in
Folsom and San Quentin prisons. For
although the law is apparently explicit on
the point of Prison Commissioners ap-
pointment, there is a clause which vir-
tually places them at the Governors
mercy.
A full board met at San Quentin yester-
day, with Director Depue in the chair.
Benjamin f. Merritts petition for en-
ployment as guard was referred to the
| Warden with power to act.
The California Jutemill Company asked
for a loan of 200 bales of jute until the ship
! Miranda arrives from Calcutta. Only 1900
| bales are in the prison, and the mill uses
from $50 to 500 bales month. The request
was referred to Mr.. Depue and the War
| den
A letter from Dunsmuir & Sons was read
| asking that a new test of their coal be
made, as in their opinion the last test was
not properly made. The board was salts
! fed with results of recent experiments and
declined this proposition.
The Warden reported that Convicts
James Lamb and Lee Brown, boys, wished
to be transferred to the Preston School of
Industry. Lamb had served term in the
Whittier Reform School, so his case was
dropped, but action on Browns request
was postponed for month.
The advisability of giving discharged
ConvictS money to pay their fare to the
counties from which they were taken was
discussed. 1t was made discretionary with
the Warden to furnish convicts tickets or
| the equivalent in money.
The Warden was instructed not to buy
any more supplies for the barber-shop,
and henceforth the officers must supply
themselves with BARRIERS materials.
Bills aggregating $12,059 were ordered
paid for February.
| Four months credits were restored to
John Haley a convict from San Francisco,
who lost years credits for lighting in the
| prison.
A convict named Lang, from Alameda
serving term of imprisonment for burg
| larry, attempted to escape Friday evening.
| He is unbalanced mentally and at lookup
time stole away into the large deserted
! furniture factory, where he was found
half an hour later lying on heap of rub
bish.
The warden reported he had found that
| Mrs. Martin, in prison for swindling a
woman in Oakland out of $4,000 by hyp-
| notism, was responsible for all the trouble
made by Mrs. Werner, another prisoner.
Mrs. Werner killed her husband in San
| Francisco. Some time ago she began to
act as if she were insane, and set fire TO her
bed about two weeks since. After that
she pretended to be idiotic, eating mush
with her fingers and throwing it into her
mouth and upon her face, soiling the bed
and her dress. Her purpose wassto get a
pardon on the grounds of insanity and
then be sent to the Home for the Feeble
minded. Under close scrutiny of Dr.
Mansfield, Captain Edgar, the matron and
warden, she broke down and confessed she
had been led by Mrs. Martin, who pos
sesSed perfect mastery over her. Mrs
| Martin was placed in solitary confinement
for two days and is now locked up in hel
room where she cannot come in contact
with other prisoners.
The board adjourned to meet at Folsom
a week from tomorrow.