The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-04
IT GIVES Mr.. WOLFER
CHANCE TO EXPLAIN
Rumor Connects Warden Vol.
fer's Name With Prison
Labor Deal.

Whatever the inside history OF the
award by the board of control of ten
year contract for the employment OF
225 inmates of the Saltwater peniten-
tiary to Roscoe II. Bronson, the part
taken by Henry Wolfer, warden of the
prison, has occasioned much specula-
ton.
Welfer resigned as warden some
weeks ago, his resignation to be eff
fective May 1. Feb. 81 he withdrew
his resignation, and it was accepted by
the board of control. The fact that
Warden Boucher, of North Dakota, had
requested a cancellation of his con-
tract to succeed Wo1fer at Saltwater
was assigned as the iInpelling motive
in VOTERS action. The developments
in the shoe contract at the prison, how
ever, are such as to throw some doubt
on the statements that VOTERS recall
of his resignation was due to similar
action by the North Dakota man who
had been engaged to succeed him.
On the same day that the board OF
control gave out the correspondence
relating to the new development in the
warden matter, the board announced
the award of the shoe contract to
Bronson. The simultaneous announce
ments did not cause any suspicion I'M
til rumors began to circulate of scan
dial connected with the making Of the
shoe contract at the penitentfary, and
then, when Chairman Jacobson said
that the board had no fear Of making
good contract, for they expected
Wolfer to bid on the prison labor, the
cat was out of the bag.
VOTERS Friends Knew His Plans.
VOTERS resignation from the prison
WardenShip was something of surprise
at saltwater, but to his closest friends
| he said that while he would leave the
prison, he would not quit the state. AT
/ Saltwater lit is believed that VOTERS
! resignation was made with the expee-
| tation of becoming interested in the
1 contract which would cover the ena-
i ployment of quite a proportion OF the
prison inmates for the next tensyeaTsS.
And while his resumption Of the port
/ folio at the prison should have elimi-
mated him from all connection with
j the contract, the statement from r. b.
] Bronson-who has bought the w. B. e.
/ w. G. Jordan Shoe company's plant
/ and Sept 1 viii succeed to the con-
/ tract-tfrat he bought the plant and
made the contract for four men, of
/ whom w. H. Caldwell, a nephew OF
1 Warden Wolfer is one, is taken to
| mean that an arrangement has been
/ perfected which viii permit Wolfer to
4 retain his job at Saltwater and at the
4 same time see that the profit under the
contract system is directed into proper
/ channels.
A reporter of TIL e G 10 b e attempt
I ed to interview both Mr.. Bronson and
| Warden Wolfer at saltwater yester-
| day, but it was said that Bronson had
gone to ST. Paul for medical treat
ment, and Warden Wolfer was also out
/ of the city. Members of the board of
| control were not In st. Paul yesterday,
having left On an early train for reg
4 ular monthly visit to the st. Cloud
i reformatory.
AT Saltwater yesterday a close per-
| senal friend Of e. 6. Bronson said that
I Bronson had bought the Jordan Shoe
company for $2iS, 900, paying $4,000
cash, and he had offered to sell the
| plant back to W. B. Jordan for the
| same figure he had paid for it three
4 weeks ago. Jordan had declined TIC
accept the offer, and had also refused
to take the terms of the same con-
tract which Bronson had afterwards
/ accepted from the board of control
Bronson is quoted as saying that he
bought the business and made the con-
| tract for David Bronson, his father;
/ Alvin E. Mccartney, of st. Paul, and
| w H. Caldwell and Thomas Connolly
both of saltwater Caldwell had been
connected with the shoe factory fol-
many years, having been employed
there in responsible capacity as long
1 as when w. G. Tarboy of st. Paul, had
the contract. He is a nephew of War
den Wolfer.
1 Bronson a Speculation.
Bronson is vice president and the
! active manager of the First Nationa
bank OF saltwater. He is known as
something of plunger in financia
/ way, and it is possible that he has
entered into the long-term contrac,
/ with the board of control simply fol
speculative purposes. Bronson is JUS
as liable as otherwise to sell his con.
tract to anyone who will give him 8
margin of profit, said Saltwater
friend of his to. a C b e man yes
terday cit is probable that he made
the deal involving close to million
dollars wholly as speculation, and Il
4 ready to let go of 1T when the oppor-
tunfty presents itself. 1t looks to me
| as though Bronson and the Jordans ha6
been figuring together and that they
| had a falling out, when Bronson hae
| the nerve to take the contract at the
advanced figures demanded by thu
board, while Jordan, who claims tina
the new contract is good for 100000
profit annually for ten years, was wait
ing to force the board to meet his
! own terms. He is naturally sore OF
Bronson for stepping in and taking ths
| contract"
The board of control declares tha
1t has made the best contract for prison
labor in the country and that it hal
! no explanation to make. However
| an explanation of VOTERS conduct ii
| probably found in the recent develop