Arizona republican., 1905-08-19
HOW n'DONNOLD DID 1T
Story Of His Stealings at the PEN
itentiary.

A week ago The Republican printed
the story of the embezzlement COM
mitted by Il. L. McDonnold while con-
fined at Yuma. It was stated that the
amount of his stealings was about $40
and that most of the victims We're his
fellow conVicts who had entrusted him
in his capacity of bookkeeper with
sums of money which they had realized
from the sale of articles which they are
allowed to make. It was also stated
that the professor had got away with
prison funds but just how he manag-
ed that was not known. That was ex-
planned by Col. Jerry Millay yesterday
on his visit TO the capitol and was
made known to a reporter for The Re
publican by member of the board of
control.
II has so far been ascertained that
the amount of the stealings was more
than $50 Of which $50 belonged to the
prison fund. There has for a long
time been in force q regulation of the
prison by which prisoners when engag-
ed in no work for the territory may
manufacture canes and other articles
for sale. The prison authorities fur
niSh such materials as are required and
the territory receives from the sale of
such articles one third of the proceeds.
this bushes for the prisoners. Some
times he bought articles outright from
them and sold them at profit as he
was allowed to do. He was permitted
to keep his profit and was supposed
to give the territory credit for one
third OF the price which he had paid
and to give the prisoners credit for the
other two thirds. He sometimes sent
these articles to San Francisco and
other distant points. The transaction
was all in his name and the pay for
the articles was always sent directly
TO him. As long as he was in charge
Of the books his croOkedness was not
discovered but after his discharge on
the completion of his term it was found
that-he had, in some iRstancessnegl ect-
ed TO make an account eff articles
which had been consigned to him for
sale and that he had i'm some instances
Ialsified the records. Then there was
system by which one prisoner might
transfer his credit to another prisoner.
That was usually a verbal transaction
of which there was no record a mere
understanding among the prisoners and
the bookkeeper This loose system
enabled the bookkeeper to absorb the
credit of a prisoner without the know
ledge OF anyone else for the prisoners
them selves seldom took occasion to
find out how they stood on the books.
FHw long this had been going on is
not known but presumably from the
time that McDonnold became book
keeper Col. MiIIay has found from
the books that McDonold got away
with only about SIS during his admin
istration the rest having been stolen
during the administration Of his pre-
decessOr.
II was stated by the member of the
board of control that the prisoners
would not loose their money. 1t was
not their fault that the money was
stolen but the fault of the system
which made the theft possible. The
territory will also be reimbursed. 1t
is needless to say that Immediately af-
ter the discovery of the professors"
operations the system was changed.
1t is not known whether McDonnold
Will be pursued or not. The items max
ing up the total of his stealings are
all so small that he could not be
prosecuted for a felony on that account
though he might be prosecuted for a
Justification of public records.