Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-10-19
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines, October 10, 1900.

Stone, superintendent OF the INDUS
trial department for the insane at
Mt. Pleasant, who was recently in
a dicted by the grand Jury Of Henry
rounty Tor the THEFT OF supplies from
the hospital. A report of the result
of the investigation has been filed
with the governor, and also filed in
the records of the board, along with
the testimony of the witnesses eX-
.amined. The findings OF the board
comprise an exhaustive review OF the
evidence taken in the course OF the
boards investigation in this city, at
Mt. Pleasant and Burlington. They
show that the charges made that q
widely ramitied conspiracy existed in
wolving numerous employees of the
state high in official station, that the
wrong doing extended over a period
,of several years and that the indus
trial building was burned last Feb
ruary to conceal evidence of crime,
were without foundation. There IS
mo controversy as to the shipment
by Stone of goods to Des Moines The
investigation of the board was for
the purpose of ascertainIng the truth
of the charges made of a conspiracy
and thefts on larger scale and of
the intentional burning of the in
.dustrial building. These charges
were made by the Daily News of this
city. when it published the evidence
in the Stone case, as ferreted out by
Eli Harding, private detective Of
this city, and sold by him to the
News. The board finds as the result
sof the examination of numerous wit
lnesses that the charges of the News,
except as to the admitted shipments
of Gather and hair to Des Moincs, rest
almost wholly on the statements of
Valid; that he was sent to the hospital
opium habit; that his testimony is
in many respects self-contradictory
and is contradicted in many inlpor-
tant particulars by numerous cred
ible Witnesses; and that his testimony
without confederation of other evil
dence is of no value whatever. The
board also reviews the evidence on
charges made by L. A. Wilkinson,
late secretary of the board, as to an
alleged conspiracy at Mt. Pleasant in
1898. Though this was investigated |
by the board at the time further |
Testimony upon it was taken when !
H"acc~n k:nnc was making the recent !
Investigation at Mt. Pleasant
John Pearson. superintendent of the /,
Mutual Telephone company fire alarm !
system. while working at the top Of |
a high pole at Ninth and Walnut, fell |
to the ground, !: distance of fifty-fiye |
Tro11 1,, l. ~
crete sidewalk and was rendered un-
conscious for some time. and it was
at first thought that he was seriously
injured. Examination, however, dis.
closed the fact that he had only suf-:
fered fractures of the left thigh and !
right foot.
Harry West says the party, with
whom he is to be associated in pork
packing, will be here the latter part
of this month, and that the plant will
be ready for operation not Ia ter than
the first OF November. a small strip
of land between the two buildings. be.
longing to the packing plant has been
purchased. and the work of razing an
old stone building to the ground will
begin at once. Very little work is
necessary to place the machinery in
absolutely sound conditions.
BY decision OF the supreme court,
Theodore Bertoch, who for more
than two years has been an inmate
OF the state penitentlary and whose
was for life, will be set at
liberty. Fate mas been playing a pc.
culiar game with Bertoch since Sen.
1enber -, 1897. His strangely in
VOWED case has twice demanded the
GO Dsderation OF the supreme court.
A year ago last April they revers
the decision of the district court be-
cause Bertoch had been convicted OF
second instead of first degree murder,
but a petition for a re-hea ring was
Immediately filed by the state, and
for another year and half Bertoch
has been awaiting the word from
I he court of last resort. The decis- !
ion was in Bertoch's favor again,
but for different reason. The plea
OF the state that the instructions to
IKE 'lry were not prejudicial to the
defendant and that the supreme court
should not have reversed the case on
the grounds, has equally divided the
court, Justices Waterman, Ladd and
Sherwin dissenting, and so under the
Jaw IT stands affirmed as without pre-
.judice to the defendant, although the
court is united that the instruction
was erroneous. The case was rever,
led on grounds of insufliciency of evil
denee, something that was not even
considered in the former opinion.
Governor Shaw has received and |
endorsed to the state treasurer a
warrant for s10,24s70 for aid for the |
Soldiers home at Marshalltown. 1t |
is the quarterly allowance for the |
period ending June 80, 1900, but it is |
not quite the full amount, as the APP
preparation has not been all provid- |
ed for. The full amount of the quar-
terry allowance from the government |
is $12.100.
City Physician Schlitz has ordered
the quarantine of Fred Bars in Sc
vastopol for smallpox. Bars is Is
years of age, and resides with his
parents. There are six others in the
all of whom have been exposed