The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-04
FORMER EMplOYE HAD
TALKED WITH COav|CTS
Probe Of State Board OF Affairs
Puts Republicans In Ridicu-
IOus Light
speciaI 70 lhe naIlr i.eaner.

]
special to the Daily Leader.
McAlester, okla, NOV. 4-T The gtatl
board OF public affairs which inyesti
gated the sensational charges o
graft in connection with the construc
tion Of the state penitentiary. pre-
ferred by w. l.. Bisaop, formel
foreman OF the steel gang, has report
ca TO Gov. Charles n. Haskell tha
teere was. no evidence produced Il
IL any way substantiate the charges
and all state officials ana the Texa:
Building company were exonerated
OF any misconduct.
The charges fell fiat because
Bishop failed to introduce any eyi
dence except the lille talk of con
victs. The board in its report to the
governor holds blameless not only
the Texas Building company and also
all state officials against whom
charges were made. but states that
after a thorough inspection of the
buildings and walls of the penitenti
AIRY the work was performed In ac.
cordance with plans and specifics
tons.
w. Fl. Chappell, OF Guthrie, attol-
icy for Bishop, a former foreman OF
the steel gang who swore to charges
as TO misconduct Of divers indiyid-
uals In the construction of the peni-
tentiary, making numerous startling
allegations. told the board of affairs
that he found that Bishop nad no
evidence that The idie runors OF con.
Victs and ex-cDnvicts 10 substaniate
any Of his information and belief
charges" The charges were with
drawn and the board of state affairs
was exonerated from any such
charges
Chappell then limited the inquiry
TO two general allegations. That in
several instances work had been
charged to the state when done for
the contractor. the state thereby pay
Ing twice for the same, and that in
several respects the plans and speci.
fieations had not been followed in
the work. He said that he desired
to present proof on those charges.
Boards Report To Governor
The report follows:
McAlester. Okla. Nov 8, 1870
Hon. c. ~ Haskell, governor of Ok
lahoma, Oklahoma City.-Dear Sir: In
the matter of the charges treferred
by w l.. Bishop against tie Texas
building company and others with
respect 10 the construction OF the
building and walls OF the state peni-
tentiary at McAlester and the furtaer
charge that state money had been
misappropriated by juggling OF ac-
counts from one part OF the work TO
the other we, the state board of pub.
lie affairs, report as follows:
We had hearing of the matters
involved in the above charges at Me.
Alester on Thursday, November 3.
1910, after due notice to all parties
N interest and on full proofs after
listening TO all evidence produced
3efore us and a statement of the
Bishop. and his attor-
ney, William ChappelI of Guthrie,
Okla. that all of the matters contain
II ID the said charges which in any
wise involved the relations of state
liIlcials and tler agents in the said
were abandoned and with.
irawn for lack OF evidence to support
said charges as against said officials,
md taeir agents. and on the fufth.
r statement from said Bishop and
lis attorney that the investigation
would be prosecuted further with re-
ipeet only to the charges involving
lie character of the work done by the
fexas Building company and 81
haracter of its accounts and charg-
s against the state for labor and ma
eriai in connection with said work,
Fe find.
That the evidence wholly fails to
upport any of the charges contained
D the list Of charges preferred by the
aid Bishop and that each and all oil
he said charges are w9olly wlthout
and were segerally and
eparately, satisfactorily and fully
isproYed by the affirmative testi-
uony produced by the Texas Build.
- company on each and all of tue
anne.
We report further that on We'd |
esday, November 2. we thoroughly
lHestigated with said charges be-
lre US and vita view to said
harges. the penitentiary building and
'alls and all OF the work done BY the
'exas Building company and found
he same In all respects In accord
nee with the contract of the said |
uilding company and the plans and |
pecidcations of said sork ard be.
eve and report the same 20 Be
Dmplete performance on the part OF
aid building company Of all Its OBJ
cations TO the state OF Oklahoma
tith respect to said work, we report
laf the complainant. Bishop. at the
pnclusion OF the hearing. after all
gidence was In, stated to the board
ublicly that there was no occasion
j tlas boald % maze any EulLAal
lspectlon of the said buildings and
al In the light Of the testimony he
as not able t0 U0iff onf any del