Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1907-07-10
HOW PRISON EXPERT
JUGGLED THE
FIGURES
TrelfOrd Left $1,000 Worth Of
Coal I'M Place of
$1,000.
FALSE STATEMENTS IN
LETTER TO GOVERNOR

Santa Fe, n. M, July 10.-(Spec-
ial )-As the taking of the inventory
of supplies, etc, by the new superin-
tendent at the territorial prison con-
tinues, it is becoming more and more
apparent that Superintendent Marion
Llttrell has his work cut out for him
in attempting to carry the institution
through the next five months of the
fiscal year on the maintenance fund
left by Trelford.
Trelford in replying to the letter
of the acting governor to the prison
commissioners stated that he had
left on hand some $1,000 worth of
coal. 1t did not take long to check
| up the supply of coal on hand. 1t
was found that there were some
| 800 tons of coal in the bunkers
and about eco or 800 tons scattered
about the prison yard. At the rate
| of purchase of prison coal, this fuel
| would be worth about $4,000.
| If the supplies on hand which do
not promise to make as good show
| ing as the coal supply, have been esti-
| mated in the same manner by Trel-
| ford, the new superintendent will be
| unable to make both ends meet.
| Considerable amusement was caus-
ed here by the publication in the
| Morning Journal of Albuquerque of
| the following table on maintenance
prepared by ex-Superintendent Trel-
ford:
Trial balance. June 30th, 1907:
| Accounts receivable .$11, 800. AZ
| Penitentiary current ex-
| pense fund ............ 3,469 90
Convicts earning fund. 100. 81
| Penitentiary board fund. 29S.T5
| Ell Canine real fund. d...... 5,49O.O6
fund ...... .......... $3.50. 25
Permanent improvement
| fund AS
Penitentiary income fund. 1884
Total E. $27,S99.36
| According to Trelford's statement
| in his letter to the acting governor
the prison has $27,S99.36 with which
to operate five months. If this were
| true Trelford ought to be placed on
| the roll of honor for high financier-
| ing. Evidently, however, he has over
| looked the fact that outside of So
| 566.25 in the maintenance fund he
has no other fund available to sup
port the prison. 1t might be inter-
would use the Ell Canine real fund,
the penitentiary board fund, the pei
| manent improvement fund, peniten-
| tiary income fund and a few othe"
| funds enumerated by him as avail
able for maintenance" for the purpose
| of maintenance.
Trelford also lists ST. 900 worth Of
bills receivable as also eligible for the
| support of the institution. However,
at the rate the prison books show
these bills are being collected, they
would not guarantee enough to ma
! terially change the net result
Trelford also includes the convicts'
| earnings but at the rate bills receiv-
able have been increasing under his
administration, the convicts' earn
| ings appear to be in the shape of l.
o. US principally.
| Had Trelford left the brick plant
| in shape to operate, the new super
intendent might be able to bring the
convicts' earnings up to standard. AS
matters now stand, however, 1t Will
be some time before he can place the
brick plant in full operation.
| Trelford estimates that the con-
victs should earn $4,000 month.
The prison books do not show that
any likihood that they would have
done so even had Trelford remained.
| Another interesting feature in Trel-
fords letter is his statement that
when he took charge of the prison
| there was a deficiency of S12,00 At
the same time the prison books
clearly show that there were on hand
$12 900 worth of supplies; $4,000
worth of bills receivable, most of
which were promptly collected by
Trelford and $4,1O0 which Trelford
admits was paid into the treasury by
II. O. Bursum,
This left a total of $4,000 ap-
proximately to offset this so-called
S12 900 deficiency.
SO far as can be learned, Trelford
left a lot of bills good, bad and doubt
full to be collected, supplies much be-
low the figures he gave, broken
down brick plant and demoralized
| prison.
His statement that the prison
would show a profit OF $4,000 would
be nearer correct If he had said S25,-
600 "in the red at the end OF the
year
Joy of Wealth.
South Norwalk Conn, July 10