Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-04-10

] for cut Of James Rector, The convict
| whose death is alleged to have re-
suited from maltrea;ment and starya.
tien, was also made from this fund.
4 Christmas Present.
In regard to specifications II and
10 We find that the chief executive did
receive from Rhodes. Haverty and
| Jackson. prominent furniture firm
which furnished the deaf mute insti-
tute with several thousands worth
Ct goods during the latter part of De
cember a gift in the shape of furniture
OF some value. Your committee eX-
amlned Mr.. Jackson. a member of the
firm, upon this matter. but his testi-
monE failed to show that the Gift was
made for any improper purpose. but
was made as a Christmas present.
AIthemer Farm Matter.
Your committee took exhaustive tes-
timony in reference to the attempted
Haywood plantation to the state for
convict farm. Mr. Altheimer testi-
fled that his figures for the farm We're
at first $4,000. which he reduced, at
the instance of the governor, to $751;
800. and that the day the board held
a meeting to consider this proposition
he gave the governor another PROPOSE
tlon in writing to sell the farm for
$4,000. The records of the board fail
to show that the governor ever sub
mitted this last proposition to them
Messrs Crockett, Monroe Murphy and
Hill. who, with the governor. COM
posed the penitentiary board at the
time, are unit in their testimony that
at the meeting in question the only
bid for the sale of the farm placed
before them was for $3.50 and that
the $4,000 bid. which Mr.. Altheimer
says he authorized the governor to
make was never presented for their
consideration. The records of the board
also show that at this meeting the
governor presented a resolution to the
effect that the board should buy
convict farm. that he offered the bid
of Mr.. Altheimer of sS7 800, and then
moved the adoption of the same.
Use of Special Cars.
Specification 90 alleges that the
chief executive accepted the use of
special car free of charge from the
Choctaw Railway company for the
transportation of himself and some
of his friends on a hunting trip in
the west. knowing that it was rendered
fer the purpose of influencing his Off
cial conduct in the matter of assessing
the property of the road. There is no
proof to sustain the charge that the
tender was either made or accepted
with ulterior motives, but that free
transportation for the purpose men
toned was accepted and used is clear
ly shown by the testimony of nearly
all the witnesses who testified in re-
gard to the matter. The governor,
however, did not join the hunting party
until the car reached the Indian Ter
ritory. Testimony also shows that
he returned in a sleeper
Defamation of Other Members.
Vour con,p,ittaa did rot inouira into
specifications "a and 26, in which it
is alleged that the chief executive, in
his message. DETAINED other members
of the penitentiary board and made
slanderous statements about them and
the superintendent of the penitentiary,
the events in question being of too
recent date to require testimony to
recall
Use of Contingent Fund.
In connection with the charge that
the governor made improper use of
the contingent fund in sending tele-
phone message to Flave Carpenter
of Clark county. the day after the last
primary election. promising him i'm
muity if he (Carpenter) would return
the vote of Clark county for Clarke
and Davis, we have to say that your
committee made as full an investiga-
ton as circumstances would permit.
Mr. Carpenter was summoned before
the committee and proved very un-