The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-03-04
PEN|TENT|ARY
INVESTIGATION
REPORT 1:s;s;;:: 1ss;::5s !
STATE FAIR BILL LAID TO
REST WITH FARGO MOURNING
System of Bookkeeping Has
Been Unscientific and Open
to Criticism
Wrong Count and Speaker Burdick
Cast Deciding Vote on Tie-Some of
the Final Work of the Lawmakers on
Important Matters.
tBy H. d. Paulson.)

(By H. d. Paulson.)
Bismarck, N. D., March AFTER an
investigation extending over the past
month, the legislative committee that
inspected the penitentiary affairs
made report this afternoon as to it's
findings. These findings cover forty
type written pages and show at
length the entire result OF tho COM
mittee's work. A complete report is
made on ali except the twine plant af-
fairs, on which the committee was
unable to work. but which it recon-
mended that the legislature, by a
resolution, authorize the governor,
the secretary Of state and the state
auditor to take up and determine the
truth of the charges that have been
made as to it's operations.
The facts found by the committee
on investigation are as follows:
For ten years prior to 1907 the
books OF account were unscientific. in
complete and utterly Inadequate to
the needs of the institution, failing to
disclose the financial condition of the
institution or the manner in which
the affairs were administered. The
condition OF the accounts is such as
to amount to gross negligence and
disregard Of the public interest on
the part of the different boards of
trustees and managing officers. The
state examining department is also
scored for neglect in the matter. the
committee claiming that any intel
ligent system Of examination INTEL
ligently carried cut would have pre-
vented such condition of affairs from
existing.
The law regulating theedisposal- of
the product of the brick yard has
been disregarded ever since the plant
was established. The board provided
for by law consisting of the governor,
the state auditor and the secretary of
state, has failed to provide for the
supervision or control over the plant
and the wardens have taken upon
themselves the responsibility of SELL
ing the product and treating the re-
cetpts as miscellaneous cash receipts
to be used for general purposes, when
the law prescribes otherwise. During
the ten years period ending 1907
some two million brick, manufactured
and disposed of by the warden, are
unaccounted for, the total value be-
ing between $4,000 and $4,000. The
determinations in prices also made
by Warden Boucher. aggregates to-
tai of $1,000.
On the purchase Of twine factory
machinery it was shown Warden
Boucher and Trustees Turner and
Modern received total rebate of
$11 $50. but this was later paid into
the penitentiary treasury, being en-
tered on the records as rebate paid
the institution as per contract with
parties from whom the machinery
was purchased. No other trustees had
any knowledge of the transaction.
The payment Of unlawful claims to
relatives of Warden Boucher is also
shown.
The claims allowed between 1893
and 1903 were in some instances a.
lowed at q higher figure then called
for, such transactions resulting in
the state losing approximately $3.50.
Since 1897 the trustees have drawn
total of $4,000, large amount of
which was allowed on unlawful
claims, such as trips to the National
prison congress, the time spent in
work on special committees and per
diem on trips to distant parts of the
country for the purpose Of investigat-
ing matters deemed of interest to the
managers of the institution.
During the time covered by the in
vestigation. the wardens have attend
ed the prison congress and collected
the expense thereof from the state,
which should not have been allowed.
The trips by the wardens out Of the
state on matters pertaining to the
penitentiary, but unauthorized, have
been charged to the state. The war;
dens have constituted themselves
the business agents of the twine
plants since its operation, which is
not in accord with the law. The
danger to which the funds Of the state
are exposed by permitting such prac-
tices are forcibly shown, though the
committee does not find that any
fraud has been perpetrated. The trips
told of aggregated in cost $4,000 in
the last twelve years.
MORE
The charge that rebates were taken
on supplies purchased for the peni-
tentiary is unfounded on the facts.
The charge that property of the state
had been sold and no accounting made
therefor. is also untrue, except as to
the item of brick. There are various
other irregularities in the handling
of funds of institutions. but no fraud
is charged in this matter. The state
has only lost money in the way of
interest OH the funds so handled.