The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1909-03-11
GRAFT IN PRISON
MANAGEMENT
North Dakota legislative Investi.
eating Committee Makes
Partial Report.

Intense interest in both branches Of
the legislature was centered in the re-.
port of the penitentiary investigating
committee.
The committee submitted volu.
minous report to both branches, which,
1t is stated. establishes every conten-
ton that much petty grating marked
the administration of Warden Boucher.
The report was not so significant in
the amount Of money actually taken,
as in the opportunity left for graft by
the irregular method of doing business
and absence of books. The bars have
been down for many years for big
gratis, and several hundred thousands
of dollars might have been taken, and
perhaps were taken for anything
which can be ascertained in the alb
sence of records.
Work on the Irvine plant inquiry is
not completed, and is not covered in
the report. 1t is in this report that
much may develop, and where the
sums Will be larger.
The committee asked to be relieved
from the work, and the governor, state
auditor and secretary of state be
named to continue the work of inves.
tigation.
The report enumerates charges be-
fore published, and gives the amount
of money found. 1t covers the period
from 1897 to date, and the findings are
these:
Graft Charges Specified.
Two million brick missing, and no
trace can be found of them. Value.
$4,000 to $4,000. Brick sold to par
ties at less than established price
charged, and other unfair discrimina-
ton. Parties mentioned as receiving
brick are Alexander Mckenzie, Guilt,
the First National bank. George Guss-
ner and c. B. Limle.
Art Turner of Grand Forks, R. ].
Moulder, Fargo, and members of the
board and Warden Boucher are said
TO have taken rebates from ma
chinery companies in 1900 to the ex-
tent of $3.50. Boucher. it is charged,
received his share, $3.50, in currency,
in a Chicago hotel. After a while
they grew alarmed and turned the re-
bate back to the institution fund un.
der an alleged false entry in the
books.
A Family Affair.
Warden Boucher and two daughters
are said to have received unlawful
sums of money for horses and hay.
Some vouchers were found which had
been discounted. The discount had
been added instead of being subtract.
ed. An instance is cited of a wagon
company which gave per cent dis.
count. This aggregated $21.42. It
was added instead of being subtracted
from the bill.
Three thousand dollars, it is
charged, was paid unlawfully to diff.
ferent boards of trustees for unlawful
services. Many unlawful trips were
made by the warden in twelve years,
1t is asserted, aggregating an expense
OF $4,000. Boucher went to Kansas
City and Lake Park to buy horses. He
is said to have charged expenses and
commission and turned sixteen head
of stock ov'r to another party upon
reaching home.
No rebates were paid by local deal
ers. No illegal sale of state property
was discovered,
High Financiering.
Here is another charge:
In 1901 Boucher went to Yucatan tn
buy fiber. He took letter of credit
for $4,000 from the First National
Bank of Chicago. He never used the
letter of the First National bank here.
but received a rebate Of $125 and in
terest. for one month at per cent
In addition, the local bank charged,
and the state paid $3.50 exchange on
the letter of credit. The committee
states that the most alarming thing
about the transaction is that $4,000
of the states money went out of the
country for thirty days, and no record
was made of it in the books of the
state.
Suggestions are made for the i'm.
provement of the law so that money
can be turned over to the state before
the end of the month so that bills can
be paid without borrowing.
Warden Boucher, it is charged. I'm.
lawfully held large sums of money in
the First National bank. which should
have been turned over to the state.
HeIIstrom's Administration.
The prison hospital is criticised "a
being of little use and the cause of
extravagant waste of the states
money.
Much praise is bestowed on the new
cell house built by Warden Hellstrom
Attention is called to 1000 in al.
legged padding on Boucher's report in
1906, and Hellstrom's estimate NJ
earnings during two years is raised tn
$11,770.
Warden Hellstrom is only criticised
for technical shortcomings in the man
agement, partial fault Of the laws !;