The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10
THE BOARD DIVIDES
As TO CARLETON'S HONESTY
Decision That He Illegally Employed Miss Harris at
Salary $125 The Vote to
Whether He Intended to Pocket the Difference.

clerk for less than the lawful salary.
The wife of the superintendent, now
his clerk. who was his first wit
ness. told of some difficulty She
experienced in obtaining the keys OF
the office from Miss Harris. Joe Oker.
who was taken by Carleton as a wit
ness in the presence of Miss Harris the
day the article first appeared in the
Standard, in order to hear what she
said as to its agreeing with the STATE
ment she previously prepared Tor a
Helena paper, detailed the conversation
and the result, furnishing Carleton with
a copy OF the original letter.
Z. c. Boom denied on the stand that
he had written any OF the letters for
Miss Harris, although he admitted FUR
nishing her one source Of Information
Governor Smith was called 10 tell
whether he had any bias in the matter
or had failed TO give Carleton every
opportunity to obtain witnesses. He
denied any prejudice and said he had
sent for all of the witnesses desired
Then Carleton took the stand in his
own behalf. He spoke at great length,
telling that the reason he retained c.
c. wylie was for a friendship for him
and his brother, w. w. Wylie, and for
services they rendered in the cam
paign, though of opposite parties. He
| had dismissed Mr.. wylie after retain
| ing him over a year because he Intend
| ed to give the Office to populist, Miss
Mackay of Missoula. Through a mis-
understanding she left the state before
he engaged her. and he was looking
around for a permanent clerk when he
hired Miss Harris temporarily. Then
/ he branched off into a long explanation
| of the expenses of the office. such az
printing, attending Institutes and the
| like. claiming the appropriation was
: totally inadequate. In fact, the ourden
/ of his testimony hinged upon finances
He admitted making the agreement
/ with Miss Harris to pay her 500 per
month, since he believed he could use
/ the balance for defraying the expenses
| of the Office. Speaking of his contract
with her for a part of the salary, he
| said:
II was conscious my motives were
correct Why, / believed il was no.
body's business. Before taking her as
signment told her she would have 10
appear on the record as clerk, drawing
sl25 per month. / gave the matter little
/ consideration. as I believed the money
| belonged to my department. When the
| month was up / took her assignment
and the certificate of her appointment
to the auditors Office. Then IL was
learned for the first time of the law
against state officers dealing in state
warrants. AS soon as Mr.. Poindexter
called my attention to the clause.
looked il up and learned had put my
foot in IL. l had attempted to make
an illegal contract. Had l ever known
of the existence of such law. should
never have made such a contract.
Then he told Miss Harris to draw ths
I money herself He denied he ever
| asked her for a cent of the money she
so drew after he learned OF his mis-
take. He gave his reasons for dis
charging her that when he returned
from the auditors office and told her
she would have to draw the money. she
replied that she knew that all the time.
Then" said the witness, Il realized
what l had fallen among; I considered
had been wronged. She remained
another month and 1 dispensed with
her services"
Several members of the board fired
some hot questions at the witness.
Did il ever occur to YOU" asked
Governor Smith that the expenses OF
your office had to be audited by the
board of examiners?"
II had never thought of it.
You want US to understand" asked
Mr.. Melton. that 1t is true you expects
ed to collect part of that pay?"
Eyes. SIR" accompanied by a long ex-
PLANTATION.
'If you had secured the Missoula
party as clerk there would not have been
any saving of money for institutes or
other purposes; she would have drawn
the full salary?' asked the attorney
general
The witness admitted she would have
drawn the sl25 and there would have
been no saving.
The witness addressed the board at
some length, making a regular closing
address, and had to be interrupted by
the board, some of whom wished to go
home. 1t was past 10 o'clock when the
board retired to the governors office to
deliberate upon the case.
, About 11:15, after nearly three-duar-
ters of an hours deliberation. the board
OF education announced the result of its
deliberation over the evidence presented.
, Five propositions were considered The
eight members Of the board who parti-
cipated in the deliberations voted unani-
mously on all but one of the PROPOSE
tions The unanimous vote was:
That Carleton employed Miss Harris
as clerk at a salary OF $50 per month.
she to return SIS per month to him;
, that the contract was Illegal: that the
, allegation he attempted to draw Miss
Harris warrant by assignment wac true:
that the charges he attempted to keep
: the contract with her secret Is false.
The board voted to on the PROPOSE
ton that he intended to appropriate the
money TO his own use.