Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-09-03
Santa Fe Hears Rumor That
Evidence Of Penitentiary
Graft Has Already Been
Prepared,
ACTION AGAINST BURSUM
AND ASSISTANTS LIKELY
Expert Report on Prison Man.
agement During BurSum'S S
Regime Causes Profound
Sensation in the Capital,
Special to the Morning Journal.

Special to the Morning Journal.
Santa Fe, n. NJ, Sept. 2.-The re-
port of the expert accountants to the
governor on the hnances and manage
ment of the penitentiary under Mr..
Bursum, which reached Santa Fe
in the Morning Journal this
morning, caused profound sem
sation in the capital. Copies of
the paper containing the report
were eagerly sought and little
else was talked of here today. Ru-
mors of this investigation and of the
startling discoveries made by the ex-
perts, have been current in Santa Fo
for several weeks, and of late
it has been known in well in
formed circles that report
would soon be forthcoming, but the
nature and extent of the Irregularities
were not guessed save by the few peo-
pie who have been intimately ac-
quainted with the affairs of the terri
torial prison during the Bursum ad'
ministration
Since the report has been made
public, however, people who are
familiar with the facts brought out
during the investigation say that
evidence has been placed in the
hands of the district attorney
which will result in large
number of indictments at the COM
ing term of Santa Fe county
court. against Bursum and the assist
ants whose names appear in the re-
port. This evidence, it is said. Is in
the form Of letters from customers
of the penitentiary during the Bur
sum administration who hold signed
receipts for money paid in, which does
At hn Of N l.
tuition. Thirty or forty of these re-
celpts are said to be in the hands of
the experts who made the investiga-
tion. The receipts are signed by Bur
sum and Martin and Garrett, who
were assistant uperintendents, the
latter having been in charge when
Mr.. Bursum retired from the man
agement in April. Indictments will
also be drawn, it is said, for destruc-
tion. or removal of the prison records.
for misappropriation and illegal con-
tracts. How much of this is authori-
tative cannot be determined tonight,
but it is known that there is docu-
mentary evidence to support every line
of the experts report and it is be-
lieved that much of this evidence has
been placed in the hands of the dis
trict attorney or his assistants
District Attorney Abbott is now in
Sea Girt n. j.. and 1t has been inn
possible to secure confirmation of the
current rumor that the evidence will
be placed before the grand jury which
meets next week.
Mr. Bursum has been popular in
Santa Fe and surprise and regret has
been freely expressed by his friends
at the revelations contained in the re-
port.
People familiar with the peniten-
tiary management during the six
years in which Mr.. Bursum had
charge have known that lax methods
were employed and from time to time
man has come forward with the be-
lief that graft existed here; but it can
be said that the full extent of the ir-
regularities had not been guessed,
even in Santa Fe, and the report has
more of personal interest here than
anywhere else in the territory. 1t is
enough to say that the report has
caused a profound sensation here and
that action by the grand jury Is con-
fidently expected. Sharp criticism Is
heard of the penitentiary commission
which approved the doctored accounts
and surprise is expressed that the
crookedness in the penitentiary ac-
counts should not have been made
public long before Governor Hager-
man came into office, through some
of the territorial offices which are
closely connected with the peniten-
tiary finances.