Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-06-24

O. Bursum former superintendent of
the Territorial penitentiary and chair
man of the Republican Territorial
Central Committee, officially, person
ally and in business, to blacken his
reputation and good name and to
| place him before the people of the Ter.
ritory as an embezzler and as man
recreant to the public trust reposed in
him, BY Territorial officials, by the
Albuquerque Morning Journal and
other yellow sheets in their pay and
a few New Mexico fake reformers?
In view of recent investigations
and events connected with the case
Of n. O. Bursum VS.. the Territory of
New Mexico pending in the Third Ju-
dicial District Court for the county of
Socorro in which Mr.. Bursum peti
toned for full judiciary investga-
ton into the accounts and financial
transactions of the Territorial prison
during the term for which he was its
superintendent and in which case
Travelling Auditor Charles V. Sat
ford is the referee, the opinion is
gaining ground that there was a
cowardly and infamous conspiracy
against Mr.. Bursum and with view
to discredit him in every possible
way and present him to the people as
an embezzler and as a boodler.
Experts Report Full Of Errors.
| While but little mas been ascer-
tanned 50 far concerning the official
investigation, which has been in pro-
gress before Referee Stafford for some
weeks, sufficient has been learned to
make the plain and unequivocal state
ment that numerous errors both on
the debit and credit side, arithmetical
and otherwise, omissions and clerical
inaccuracies have been discovered to
prove that the report made by one
1 Francis M. McMahon then secretary Of
the Colorado Title and Trust Coiii-
pany for and on behalf Of the Terri
tory and by employment of ex.Gover-
nor Herbert J. Hagerman is partially
incorrect, partially incomplete and in
many items unreliable and not suca a
document as would establish the Grim.
inality, malfeasance or misfeasance in
Office of any official. In short, it Is
not a report that sustains in any man
ner the charges made by the Hager-
man administration against Mr.. Bur.
sum. In this respect more cannot be
said until the investigation is finished
and the report submitted to the court.
I Refused to Commit Himself.
| In the proceedings on Saturday
Hast in which Referee Stafford endeav-
ored to procure testimony as to the
correctness or incorrectness of GER
tain portions of the so-called experts
, report the following very singular
facts were demonstrated:
1st. The expert who, after several
months labor made this report, could
not and would not remember anything
about it, although one OF the copies
of the report signed by himself was
submitted to him for reference and
although one of the carbon copies OF
the report made by MIN, but not
signed was also ready for inspection
by him. The carbon copy submitted
to Mcmahon was the same copy
which, by the way, was served on Mr.
Bursum a number of weeks after the
report was published and which up tc
the time of this hearing was deemed
sufficiently good for ex-Attorney Gen
eral Reid to base his demand on Mr.
Bursum for the repayment of monies
claimed to be due the Territory.
Cd. On Saturday last Referee SAT
ford learned Of the visit of this ex
: pert to this city. Mr.. Stafford deemed
{ it proper to call on Mcmahon ant
3 informed him in the presence of wit
{ nesses that as there were number O
I discrepancies, between his, the experts
+ report and items both of credit ant
t debit so far ascertained by the ref
: cree, that he felt it his duty to re
Q quest Mcmahon to appear before
! him to make reconcilement If possible
/ between figures and amounts of th'
( lreferee and those shown in the ex
d pert's report. This Mcmahon dc
clined fatly. Thereupon the refere'
! in performance of his duty and in or
. der to get all possible testimony TO
b a full and fair investigation and repor
d issued a subpoena for Mcmahon
i and compelled him to appear befor,
him. Now, why this reluctance ant
r holding back on the part OF Nc
T. Mahon? Why would he not voluntari
ly give the testimony requested a
9 nothing but the truth and facts wer
J. desired.
Sd. AT the hearing a carbon cop
}. Of his report was shown him am
n Mcmahon asked to identify the same
This he refused to do on the groun