Omaha daily bee., 1906-09-27
KERN SHOWS UP AUTHORITY
sOcretsry Of Board Authorizes Him to Sign
Wesoott Contract.
ACTION TAKEN IN OPEN BOARD MEETING
Arnold Solomon of Omaha Appeals 60
Governor on Behalf of His Son,
who is a Fugitive I'm
Old Mexico.
CFrom a stan Correspondent

(From a STAN Correspondent)
LINCOLN, Sept 2e-(speclal.) -Superin-
tendent Kern of the Hastings asylum was
IN Lincoln today, and according to him, II
there il anything wrong with the contract
let to Earl Wescott for the construction OF
CID elevators at the institution it is tho
faint OF the board, and DR.. Kern certainly
has the gooda to bear out this assertion.
DR.. Kern was before the board woek
ago. and at that time he read 10 the mem
bers his letter to Governor Mickey In
which he told of the Burns contract and
other contracts leading up to the Wescott
contract. which the secretary of tire board
authorized him to sign. Incidentally Or.
Kern was to sign the contract relating to
the material used in the elevators, and he
had nothing to do with the price.
Though this letter had been read TO the
board members, Chairman Eaton denied
that he knew anything of the contract and
he denied that any member of the board
had been authorized to tell DR.. Kern TO
sign the Wescott contract. What DR.. Kern
did, he did with the authority of the board.
Insofar as the contract for the porches is
concerned, Dr. Kern said he had received
letter from the board to advertise for
bids and let the contract to the lowest
bidder. No work has been done on this
contract, and 1t is likely nothing will be
done until after the next legislature makes
an appropriation for this purpose.
1T has been customary" said Dr. Kern,
"for the board to refer matters 70 the su 4.
perintendents Of institutions, and It has
been done In all institutions. 1 have on
file written orders from the boards seore-
tary for everything l have done or ordered
done"
The queer thing about the contract is the
fact that Chairman Eaton professed igno-
rance Of any knowledge of IL, when as a
matter OF fact II had been discussed at the
board meeting a few hours previous to the
time he was asked about 1t. 1t was the
action OF Chairman Eaton wholly which
gave rise to the belief that the contract to
Wescott was queer. Governor Mickey in
tends to sift the matter further and find
Dut II there Is anything wrong.
Father Appeals for Son.
Arnold Solomon. 1927 vinton street
Omaha, physically Ill and homesiek
among strangers, homeless and alone in
far of old Mexico, through his father,
DR.. John j. Solomon. has appealed to
Governor Mickey to be allowed to return
TO those who love him without having
the strong arm of the law to reach out
and grab him.
Young Solomon is wanted in Ogden,
Utah. to complete term in the Utah
reformatory, from which during his brief
life he escaped on two occasions. The
father has asked Governor Mickey to
promise to refuse to honor a requisition
for his return to the Mormon state His
letter to the governor was pathetic He
said, his boy on last New Years night
n company with several lads of his own
age. by reaching through broken window
In hardware store secured some re-
volvers with which they ''shot out the
old year and shot in the new All of
them were arrested for burglary. Young
Solomon was told by the police II he
would plead guilty to the charge he
would be given thirty days sentence in
tho county Jail. Being without friends
and advisers the boy did SO and was
sentenced to the reform school until he
became of age The other boys stood
trial and were acquitted.
Shortly after his incarceration young
Solomon escaped and came to Omaha
whore he was apprehended and token back
TO Utah. Governor Mickey having honored
requisition for him. According to the
letter of the father the boy was put in
IRONS and thrown in a dark cell where
for twelve days he subsisted on bread and
water At the end of this time, the latter
said the boy was compelled to march
with the other prisoners, and being weak
from lack OF food he staggered so he
was unable to keep his place in line, for
which offense he was punished with a
black snake whip until he became uncon-
scious The boy took advantage of the
first opportunity and escaped a second
time and rounded up in old Mexico. Due
20 hardships and exposure he is now a
victim of rheumatism and wants to come