Gilpin observer., 1910-08-18
PENITENTIARY PROBE
SHOWS cRooKEDNEss.

| Denver, Colo, August 17,-"The
Buchtel administration eliminated
graft"
Recollection of this bold and un.
| substantial statement, circulated with
| wonderful assurance by the Republi.
can press of Colorado last spring in
an attempt to find something upon
which to base this falls campaign,
brings a broad smile to the counten-
ance of every citizen who is not in
accord with the Guggenheim machine,
in face Of the penitentiary inyestiga-
ton commenced last week. Worship
pers at the shrine of the little
statesman" do not smile, however.
Their faces wear an expression of
pain and unwilling consciousness of
guilt. The most charitable disinterest-
ed person has to admit that Warden
Cleghorn was at least guilty of Grim
inal carelessness in his lack Of man.
agement Of the prisons affairs.
Checks for the warden's personal
necessities, luxuries and pastimes
cashed out of the funds of the state
or the prisoners; money received
from the state for buildings that
were not even started; enamelled
beds and bathtub purchased for a
bakery; twice as much lumber paid
for as was ever needed or used; auto
mobile supplies furnished for private
citizens and for a member of the
board; interest paid on overdrafts
when there was plenty of cash on
hand; a horse for private use paid
for out Of public funds; live stock
sold but not recorded; utter disregard
Of business methods in handling the
states financial affairs. These are but
a few of the disagreeable facts
brought out in the investigation be-
ing conducted by Attorney General
Barnett and Auditor Kenehan. Facts
mind you, ELECTED from such unwill-
ing witnesses as the ex-warden and
a number of his assistants during the
past six years of his incumbency.
One bill of 1927 for automobile sup
plies was objected to by the chauf-
feur. whose o. k. was necessary. and
finally marked down to $50, and a
$50 claim was likewise cut to $3.50.
The evidence indicates that DR..
Ralph Taylor of Denver, was the ben
eficiary in successful deals of this
Sort by virtue Of his position as a
member of the penitentiary board.
1t was also shown that the warden
had quite an advantage over the or
binary run of honest and upright en-
ployees. When out for a time and
short of cash, he simply wrote a per-
sonal check which was cashed from
funds belonging to the state or to
the prisoners, no attempt being made
to keep these accounts separate.
Much of the institutions book keep.
ing seems to have been done by. en-
tries on small slips of paper which
were later destroyed. The chief clerk
stated under oath that although Cleg.
horn was in debt to the state almost
constantly during his six years in
office, no record had been preserved
of his indebtednes IS or Of it's cancel
lation.
In the matter of lumber and build
ers' supplies it was indisputably es
tablished that there had been graft
| running into the tens Of thousands
Of dollars, but up to the time the in
vestigators took a recess last Friday
! they had been unable to determine
| who had reaped the benefit. This
will in all probability come out later
Here are few figures obtained by
comparing the vouchers with meas
urements of lumber actually used:
Common lumber paid for, 297,1O!
feet; used, 1879.
Clear lumber paid for, 74,709 feet;
used. 2S,954.
Hardwood lumber paid for, 9,21;
feet; used, 1924.
Moulding paid for. 3O.Os2 feet;
used, 10,476.
Cement paid for, 4,71O sacks used
2,9S2.
The sum of s2,0s5.3O was paid fol
sash, doors, millwork, etc.. and the
value of that used is sS39.79.
For builders hardware voucher.
were issued for $2,S93.O5, Will,
s220.1O covers the cost Of what wa.
actually used. None of the excess car
be found or accounted for, conse
quently approximately half OF the pur
chase price of these materials wa.
graft, pure and simple.
Many other glaring defects have
been already unearthed, and no doub