The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-02-27
ADDISON
Ill DILLEYI
CLEARED
BY Report of Legislative
Committee
Mrs. CarlisIe'S Condition
Chargeable to Some One
Else

en- herewith, in full:
I'VE find the financial and business
affairs of the penitentiary carefully
and economically conducted; the
books and accounts correctly kept.
I'VE find the building in very poor
condition, and greatly in need of re-
pairs. There is general dilapidation
in many places, and the entire appear.
ance is that of decay and insecurity.
We endorse the recommendations of
the governor that a portion, II not all
of the earnings of the convicts in the
shops be placed at his disposal, for
purposes of repair, and we believe a
general overhauling and strengthen.
ing of the main structure should at
once be undertaken
The investigation of the scandal
relating 20 Mrs. Carlisle. one of the
female prisoners, involved the exam
ination Of a large number of witness
es, whose testimony we had taken
down in full by a sworn stenographer,
and extended, a copy of which testi.
mony is here attached.
I'VE have been compelled in this in.
vestigation to depend largely for the
vital facts upon the testimony of con.
yicts, the unreliability of which is
more or less proverbial.
we have the testimony Of Mrs Car.
isle herself, and the convict, Thomas
James swearing positively TO Illicit
relations between Second Warden
Dilley and Mrs. Carlisle, but this is
unsupported by any other evidence
upon which to base a corroborative be.
lief. On the contrary, we have the
positive testimony Of Mr.. Dilley in de.
nial, also the testimony of Warden
James, Mrs. James Mrs Parkhurst,
their daughter, Mrs. Crockett, a fel
low prisoner Of Mrs. Carlisle, besides
several reputable witnesses from
Southern Oregon, all declaring Mrs
Carlisle is unworthy of belief, that shF
is n woman of the most evil, vindioa
tive and revengeful mind; that she
had frequently threatened to fix Mr.
Dilley on account OF sights or IN
treatment; that ever slnce last June
she has expressed the determination
to bring about the condition of preg
nancy now existing, and 10 charge II
upon some officer of the prison.
Mrs. Carlisle, in her own testi
mony, acknowledged a desire 10 be.
come pregnant. so as to obtain her re.
lease thereby The testimony Of the
convicts, Policy Riley and others all
goes TO indicate Mrs. Carlisle's settled
determination TO injure Dilley. and 10
blame her condition upon him, and
also indicates beyond question that
there was a secret intercourse be
tween Mrs. Carlisle and the convict
Ed. White, now deceased, and the con.
ylct Thomas James, and that there
was some means OF actual communi
cation with them.
Whether this was by means of Sc.
cret keys or by an unsound and easily
moved door we do not know. but we
believe from all circumstances that
Mrs. Carlisle's charge against Dilley
is not true, and that her condition is
chargeable to some one else.
While we have reached this conclu.
sion, in justice to the personal char.
acter Of Mr.. Dilley, which has been
that OF an upright citizen for many
years in the community where he has
held responsible positions, yet we
cannot dismiss this subject without a
criticism OF the manner in which the
prisoner, Mrs. Carlisle, has been cared
for. The room in which she has been
kept has not been secure or properly
guarded, and there has been a blame
able carelessness. in permitting such
conditions to exist.
'We can only hope that the costly
lesson which has thus been learned
will result IN greater care and better
discipline in the future. We believe
that Mrs. Carlisle is one Of the most
dangerous female characters that the
state has ever encountered and we
hope that her determination TO cir.
eumvent the law by the last sacrifice
which woman can make, and 10 black.
en- the character Of a good citizen will
fail
"E. NJ. CROIsAN.
"W. TYLER SMITH
I"Committee on behalf Of the senate.
"FRANK nAWEV