Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-10-09
sS,75O.5O

Assuming there were no wool suits on
hand Dec 1st, 1900, it is found they
bou2 hit during the month of December,
1900, 4i0 wool suits at s. per suit, and
during the month of December, 1900,
and January, 1901, acquisitions on file
show they issued l05 of these suits 10 the
wards, and on February 1st, 1901, 1.-THE
day when the institution changed hands,
and the day invoice was taken) there
were 285 wool suits on hand, making a
total of suits on hand and suits issued of
800. This shows a shortage of so suits,
to be accounted for.
They also bought of the same party,
Nov Goth, 1900, $50 mems shirts at so
cents each; Dec. 18th, 1900, 2400 mems
shirts at 50 cents each and Dee. 18th,
1900, 1900 mems shirts at so cents each,
making total of shirts bought, during
period of five weeks, of 1880.
These two particular items are referred
to because they represent the greatest
irregularities in line of purchase, so far
as we are able to determine from the re-
cords of the Institution. The goods were
all of an inferior quality, as was proven,
by two disinterested merchants in the city
OF Hastings and several merchants in
Lincoln, offered to duplicate the suits for
81. 10 and the shirts for 80 cents each.
This bill was all made out by one
favorite and was in addition to the
large amounts already spent for clothing.
The bill shows date December 81, 1900,
and was duly certified to and approved
by the asylum officials who were acting
with or for the fusion board of purchase
and supplies at the state house. 1t ap-
pears, however, that the retiring state
officials were ashamed of the transaction,
and did not want it to come to the sur
face while the legislature was in session.
They must have instructed the contrac-
tor to hold his bill. At any rate it was
not presented for payment until July 81,
| 1901, seven months after the republican
state officials had entered upon their
duties. The fusiouists would have
promptly paid the bill, had they had the
opportunity, but the present state officials
were more careful. They were astound-
| ed, not only at the size of the bill, but at
the brazen effrontery of the fusion job
holders who had saddled this useless
debt upon the institution just before go
ing out of office.
An investigation was made, and the
! proof of delivery being very meagre, the
state board rejected the claim. Then
came affidavits from the contractor, and
from the fusion office-holders as to the
delivery of the goods. These afidavits
were sworn to before Notary Public
James Crowley of Hastings in August,
and the board finally allowed S., s3S 81
of the bill on Sept. %, 1901, and rejected
the balance. There was no proof that
all of the goods had reached the institu-
ton. The contractor sued for the bal
ance of his bill, and the matter is now IN
court. The case is another one of the
unfortunate and expensive legacies OF an
unbusinesslike and semi-insane fusion
administration.
Money was spent in peculiar ways fol
other things besides butter and shoddy
clothing. The following document is OIL
file at the state house:
ORIGINAL.
PERMIT TO PURCHASER HOS
PITAL FOR THE CHRONIC
INSANE.
Hastings, Neb., Oct. 26, 1900.
"To the Board of Purchase and Sup
plies-Permission is requested of the
Board of Purchase and Supplies for tn,
purchase of the following named articles
for the use of this institution, the same
being absolutely needed at once, and the
same not being upon the estimate Of
contract for supplies. To be paid from
Board and Clothing Fund.
~. T. STEELE,
Superintendent.
, go collins, X. d. at s4...........s2 4t
80 burial robes at VI u,.....,-,.. x