Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-23
stone N) s. Guilty.
The MI. Pleasant superintendent
Was Wholly the Victim Of
His IDformer.
Past Career Of Stone shows He Was
Feeble Minded and Easily
Influenced

Evidence Indicates He Was Not
Criminally Inclined
Stolen is Small
Des Moines, Aug. 90 John w. Stone.
foreman Of the Industrial shop of the
state hospital at Mount Pleasant, and
who is charged with selling $9s worth
of state goods for his own benefit, is a
graduate OF the institute for feeble
minded at Columbus, o. 4.
Member John Cownie, OF the state
board of control, returned "wednesday
from Mount Pleasant, where he sxacted
a full statement from Stone Of the part
he played in the affair.
Stone confessed everything he knew
He told the following story, as repeat
ed by the board Sof control: When
Vaid was an inmate here at the asylum
he kept at me repeatedly to sell state
goods. He said he saw a great chance
for profit in the business. He urged me
to it, He told me that there was no
use letting money waste that way. He.
told me that all public officials did it,.
sHeatold me that the officials at the CAPS
sital did IT., the governor. the board of
control, everybody that held office, took
as much public properly as they could
and sold it for their own profit; and he
said he knew because he lived IN Des
Moines and sold the goods for the state
officers. 1 always refused to go into it,,
altho he made it appear to me that it
was all right and that l was expected
to doit.
After Valid was released and re-.
turned to Des Moines he wrote me and
again insisted upon me going, into the
business. This 1 finally did, according
to the letters the board of control now.
has. finally shipped him the box of
horse hair ropes for mattresses and the
sole lea Their. There were 1886 pounds of
the hair and fifty square feet Of the
leather. 1t was all worth about 500.
II sent Valid samples first and have
his letters showing that he solicited me
to go into the business. sent samples
to the express office by Superintendent
Hoyts daughter The goods Il packed
and hauled to the express office by the,
coal wagon. They laid in front of the
office for two days till I could go down
and guarantee charges.
1t never occurred to me. that would
get caught till after the goods had
gone Then knew that the first check
ing would. show me short. felt like
sending back the $50 they had sent me
and asking that the goods be returned.
Valid sent me the $40. He wrote the
first letter and he kept asking me to go
into the business When he was here.
II swear that the goods sent to Des
Aoines We're the only ones taken. I
defy any man to produceSs scrap OF evil
dence to show that any goocs were
taken to Burlington or shipped there or
from any other place than Mount
Pleasant. The hair and leather sent to
Valid We're all that ever ook.
II never knew who my Parents were
I was III the poor house and on the
poor farm at Newark, o., till 1 was 5
institute for feeble minded at Column
bus, o., DR.. G. A. Doran, s,iperlntend-
ent, and remained there until 1 was %
years old. learned several trace, and
am musician. | thought ought to
be making my own living and got a
chance to play in the band at the Sol
dters home at LeavenWorth. Went
there and remained eight months. Then
l gotta chance to go the Industrial
department OF the Clarinda hospital
and took that place. DR.. Gilman then
got me to go to Mount Pleasant after
sixteen months. have been there
a bout two years. 1t has been four
years since left the institute for feeble
minded at Columbus
Stones name is John W. instead OF
John NJ. Stone. His method of proceed
ure in this matter shows that he is SIM
pie. The correspondence was conduct
ed on posta cards and with letters with
return envelopes. The board ofcontrol
iShas Naid's letters, even the first one
that was sent down, it is said, and
there may be developments in the mat
ter yet. Stone will be tried in Ssptem-
Der unless the board, which has the
goods, concludes to dismiss it. This is
likely, as stones story is substantiated
and the board is rather inclined to be-
lieve he is the victim.
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