The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-13
HOULTON HANGING ON |
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE STATE
REFORMATORY DOES NOT PRO-
POSE TO RESIGN
HE SAYS CHARGES ARE LIES
Spite of the Fact That There Was
Full Attendance-Three Pris-
Oners Were ParOled and Eleven
DischarGed-PrOgre on the New
buildings.

The board of managers of the state re-
formatory held a three hours session
last evening at the Merchants hotel. AS
usual, the meeting was an executive one,
and the excuse given by the officers OF
that board, as we'll as the members, for
the secrecy of the session was that 1t
was considered advisable In discussing
paroles and discharges that there should
be no publicity.
Three of the inmates were paroled and
eleven discharged. Bills aggregating
So, SO were approved and ordered paid.
Supt Houlton reported, under date OF
Aug. 81, work amounting to $15,19S had
been done by the inmates on the buildings
and grounds. OF this $l47S4 was work on
the buildings, the amount being figured
as 1864 days at rs cents per day. The
superintendent also reported that two
thirds of the basement of the admins
tration building was in and the work was
progressing as rapidly as could be ex-
pected 1t is understood that the admin
istration building will not be ready for
occupancy for al least eighteen months.
Supt Houlton, seen after the meeting
and asked if he had rendered his resigna-
ton, said there was nothing to the rumor
or report that he had expected to resign
81 do not know" he said, who is re-
sponsible for the statements which are
published from time to time in some of
the papers, but 1 am of the opinion that
the articles are paid for. l informed the
board several months ago that when they
11e- fon hn
could ask for my resignation and [ would
resign. In reply to my statement the
board unanimously passed a resolution to
the effect that all | had done was Tor the
benefit of the institution and the state
| suppose those who are making the al
legged charges against me have the idea
that if they lie long enough somebody
will believe the charges, "
Present at the session of the board
were President Charles Keith, H. 5.
Griswold, S. J. Turnblasd, o. c. Merriman,
G. w. Stewart and Frank L. Randall. the
last mentioned being the new appolntee
on the board, to succeed J. j. Mccall
ferty, resigned.
Another question has been brought up
on the legality of the superintendent S
action Under the law the convicts are
allowed pay for the work they do for
the state. They are also fined for del1n-
QuenCleS, and the, amount OF the INES lS
to be deducted from the amount of the
pay earned. Then a check is drawn in
favor of the superintendent for the net
earnings. This check goes into the fund
for the benefit Of the convict when he is
discharged. 1t forms his Cood-time
mercy.
For the last three years 1t is claimed
that there have been no deductions for
fines, but that the entire amount has
been RENTED to the superintendent, who
is custodian of the convicts' fund and
personally responsible for it's safe keep
ing He has divided the fund, placing the
money due the state for fines into a
separate fund, called the convicts' benefit
fund, and this is expended for the gen
eral benefit of all the convicts. 1t was
from this fund that the printing plant at
the reformatory was purchased, and it is
understood that magazines, library books
and other articles for the benefit of the
prisoners generally have been purchased
from the fund
1t is claimed that this is in deliberate
cor travention of the law, which makes
no provision for this fund, and that it Is
a perversion of funds which belong to the
state. 1t is also claimed that the fines
have been very materially increased since
this fund was established, so the in
dividual convict, when he is discharged,
receives very much less than he did for
merly, and the benefit fund grows CORE
(nd1nC1Jy fa+