Gilpin observer., 1910-02-03
THINGS POLITICAL

II may pe interesting 10 the people
of Colorado, and we believe it will
to learn that under the preceding Re-
publican administration it cost over
ten dollars per day to maintain an
automobile for the use of Warden
| C!eghorn, at the Canon City peniten-
tlary. The auto was bought on Feb
ruary 18th, 1908 and cost the people
of Colorado $2,S75.OO on the same
day Warden Cleghorn and the peni-
tentiary commissioners bought sup
plies for this auto at an outlay of
$4S2.5O. This auto seems to be hav-
ing an expensive start in life,-a
cost of $4S2.5O for supplies and yet
no one has ridden in the machine.
! However,if you think this is extrava-
gance, wait until you have looked
through the forty-five vouchers that
were issued from this date February
Is, 1908 until the time Warden Cleg-
| horn was succeeded at the peniten-
tiary by the present warden, Thomas
lyman. This important event in the
financial affairs of the state occurred
in April, 1909. During the fourteen
months which elapsed between the
purchase Of the auto and the day
that Warden Cleghorn was deposed,
the expense of maintaining this auto
was S3,S95SS, as is evidenced by the
forty-five vouchers previously men
| toned. The number of the first of
these expensive pieces Of paper was
1880 and the last one is numbered
1S,429. These facts were dug up by
the Public Examiner of Colorado and
are easily verified by anyone who de-
sires to know. A pretty expensive
| auto it seems to us, but then this
auto was at the penitentiary, you
know, as was also the man who en-
gineered it, and it's expense account.
The proper place for them did you
say?
To cap the climax of this auto ro-
nance, just before Warden Cleghorn
was deposed he ordered a Denver
firm to present a bill to the state
for S165.OO for another new set of
tires for this machine. The bill was
paid, but when the present warden
took charge he found that the tires
had never been delivered at the pen
itentiary, of course they may have
been used on some one else's auto,
but that's another story. After due
consideration of the facts in the case
Auditor Kenehan demanded the re-
funding Of the money paid for these
undelivered tires.
One day last week this money was
refunded as also was an item of
S2O6.40 by Penitentiary Commissioner
Mum for money he had spent Illegal
ly. This week Geo. Stracy who was
one Of the penitentiary commission
ers under the Buchtel. Cleghorn re-
gime. also refunded $1,000 which he
had spent on an eastern pleasure
jaunt. Warden butcher, of the Re-
formatory under the Buchtel admins
tration has also been compelled 10
disgorge to the amount of s92.79.
This altogether makes s561.19 cash
refunded the past few days that was
illegally borrowed" of the people by
the officers of the last Republican
administration. The people should
remember these facts when it comes
time to vote this fall and no man
who will not promise to work to- give
Colorado an honest and economical
administration should receive the
vote Of a single honest man. The
present state administration is un-
earthing many such stories as the
auto story and we will continue from
time to time to let the people know
what their former servants have been
doing with the peoples money as well