The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-10
Special Dispatch to the STANDARD.

Helena, July 9.-The state board OF
education to-day examined the charges
preferred against State Superintendent
Carleton. He was accused of attempting
to draw the major portion of Miss
Josephine Harris salary as clerk in
his office. The investigation began
about IL o'clock this morning and was
concluded at an evening session. Be
sides the state superintendent, the gov
ernor, and attorney general, these
members of the board were present:
o. F. Goddard, Billings; J. E. Klock,
Helena; III. r. Melton, Dillon; NJ. ].
Garrett, Lewistown; II. III. Grant,
Grantsdale. and J. G. Mckay. Butte.
The board agreed to hold the session
in one of the court rooms and to admit
the general public. 1t was decided that
Attorney General Nolan should inter-
rogate the witnesses in support of the
| charges and that Mr.. Carleton should
| cross-examine them and conduct his
own defense. Quite a number of wit
nesses were called. Much matter that
did not appear to have much bearing
upon the charges was introduced, max
| affair. Upon cross-examination. Mr..
| Carleton asked a number of questions
that TO the spectators did not seem at
| all material This delayed the progress
of the investigation. giving 1t the semb-
| lance of a court trial. Occasionally
the members of the board asked the
witnesses a question. Not until near
the close of Miss Harris examination,
the first witness examined. was the
question of swearing the witnesses
raised. Mr.. Carleton demanded that
they be sworn. and after discussion the
board decided it could be done, al
| though the attorney general said the
board had about as much authority to
administer an oath as a tobacco sign.
The testimony was taken by a stenog-
rapher. and during a large part of the
day listened to by many spectators.
The proceedings began by the attor-
ney general reading the Standard of
| June 13. containing the first publica-
tion of the charge, This was followed
by the Standard of the next day, giving
| Mr.. Cartoons denial Then came a
letter from Miss Harris or her brother,
prepared for the Independent, which
was not printed. and the entire article
In the Sunday Standard. giving the le.-
ter OF Miss Harris to that newspaper,
| which Mr.. Carleton complained had not
been published, and a brief letter from
her making a correction.
Miss Harris was caIled to the stand.
She told substantially the story con-
tanned in the letter she prepared for
the Standard. She detailed how the
position had been offered her and her
|
with April l. Nothing was said of the
$l25 salary or where the $50 to pay her
was to come from. At the end of the
month she signed a paper assigning
the salary to Carleton. Attached 30
this paper was certificate of her ap-
pointment as clerk. She wrote both on
the typewriter. When Carleton was
unable to collect the warrant from the
auditor he gave her a letter of intro
duction to the auditor and a certificate
that she had worked the month OF
April and was entitled to the pay. ex-
planning at the same time that the APP
preparation for the Office was small
and that after she had taken her 500
from the 1925 he desired the balance for
the expenses of the office. In the
meantime she had learned from her
brother that II would be unlawful for
her to draw part of the salary. giving
the balance TO Carleton, and when she
procured the money declined to enter
further in the agreement. Sh drew this
April and May salaries. and at the END
of May received the note that her serv-
ices were not longer needed. This wa:
the substance of her testimony, bear
ing out identically her letter in ths
Sunday Standard and agreeing with th'
original publication in the Standard
with a few minor exceptions.
Harry Harris, her brother. wa:
s-NN - -
some of the communications for th'
press. He II was who had informed
Miss Harris of the illegality of the con
tract entered into with Carleton anS
advised her to stick up for her rights
He said that while perhaps $50 a month
might have been sufficient salary in Z
private office, 1t was not enough in ;
public office where the law allowed
sl25.
Fred f. Miller a clerk at the Grow
agency. testified that Carleton offere,
him the position last March. providin;
he would work for $50 per month, bu
, he wanted SIS, consequently he did no
get the position. He understood tha
If he were taken he would succeed c
| c. Wylie. then the clerk.
c. c. wylie. clerk in the Office unde
Superintendent Steere and under Carle
ton until April l last, testified tina
Carleton never asked him TO take an!
reduction in salary on account OF tn
2 smallness OF the appropriation.
Deputy Auditor Poindexter was call
!, ed TO tell about Carleton endeavorini
{ TO collect the warrant for Miss Harris
and being told by the auditor that !
, could not be done. since the law dii
|, | not permit state officers 10 deal in stat
warrants. He said at the end OF tn
last fiscal year the appropriation for tn
Z state superintendent's Office was no
! | entirely exhausted. James Toughill
y chief clerk in the secretary of state
! office. produced the books to show tina
. the appropriation for the fiscal yea
beginning Dec. last was $500. and tina
up TO June 20 last s266.20 of this ha
been expended.
Secretary Hogan testified as a mem
bsr OF the state board of examiner
that Carleton had never spoken @
| making un any deficiency by hiring