The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-21

Itv. to report to my office at once. Mr.
IBroolSe arrived the following day and
i INSTRUCTED him to go at once to Banner
mines and to make a thorough examina
| tion of the conditions; ascertain whethei
1.-THE state was receiving payments for al
| the coal mined according TO contract
| whether any amounts we're due the statt
under the guarantee provisions of that con
| teact and 10 especially investigate the
system being used of weighing coal mined
| by the state eonvicts. &
Commissary Management
/ also Instructed him to ascertain
| whether the commissary operated by tbs
Estate was properly managed and showing
4 any profits and to report to me eoniidefl-
1 tally what economies could be introduced
/ and what reduction could be made in the
/ officials employed by the state without
decreasing efficiency. | Informed Examr
/ lier Brooke that ]. had received confiden-
| tial. information on which ! relied thai
fthe state was not Receiving proper returns
| for all the coal mined: that the weights
Lin the mines had been improperly changed
ESQ as to register less coal than the amount
lAct1aly weighed, and also that some OF
/ the coal mined by the states conNicts was
1 not weighed at all or ACQUITTED for. ! also
stated that | had confidential informa-
4 tion that the commissary was being sc
managed as TO yield the state no proft
that as the goods were sold for cash, oi
/ perfectly solvent credit, there could be
no excuse for this, and as the stock was
small there could be no deterioration.
| daS or two after Mr.. Brooke reached
Banner mines he called me over the
l phone and stated that my information
/ was correct, because he had discoveries
/ that the mine weights were set 2o'per cent
under weight. | then instructed him to
| get Mr.. Nesbitt,' the chief mine inspector
! to hire an automobile and carry him al
once to Banner mines and have him. eX-
amine the scales and make a full report
| to me at once. | also instructed Mr.. Mes
| bitt To examine the scales at Lucille, Belle
! Ellen and Flat Top,
few days afterward | had an inter-
view with Examiner Mccall, in. which
stated that I believed the state was not
receiving proper returns from the cot
ton mill at-Speigners and asked him what
! examiner he could suggest whom | coulo
designate to make an investigation ol
the conditions at that point. He stated
/ that Examiner Evans was then engaged
lin examining the books of the county Of
4 ficers at Montgomery and | could transfe,
! him to.this work Examiner Evans came
/ IN a short while to my office and | gave
| him specific Instruction as to the work
wished done at Speigners. I stated to Mr
/ Evans that In my opinion there was a
| leak some where in the convict depart-
ment: that 1t would probably not be in, the
| payments on the contracts at the mining
camps or at the turpentne or lumber
camps because under the law the presi-
dent of the convict board prepared month
| 1y statements of the amounts due and the
books of the convict department fully
| disclosed the amounts due and the pay
ments made thereon.
These conditions. however. did not exist
at the cotton mill at Speigners. Cotton
goods were being constantly shipped and
checks in payment of shipments received
on almost any day of the month | in
structed him to go TO. Speigners. get a
statement from the books of the superin-
! tendent of every shipment which had been
made of cotton goods from January. 1911,
| to date: examine the bills of lading and
see that the shipments were made and
| then to compare the statement shown
on the books at Speigners with the books
| at Montgomery.
Keeping Investigation Secret
| | impressed upon him the importance OF
keeping this investigation secret and OF
NOT disclosing my Instructions to amy
| other person. stated to him that In my
| Judgment such an Investigation would
speedily disclose whether any funds OF
| the department had been distracted and
| the success Of his work depended upon
the. speed and secrecy with which it was
! performed Examiner Evans left fol-
| Speigners on Monday, March s. ] left for
| Washington on Sunday. March . and
! reached my office at the capital on Tues
| day morning. March H. | found Exami-
ners Evans. and Brooke awaiting me with
reports. | gave him an immediate audi
ence and he Informed me that lie had
made personal comparison of the books
at Sepgners With the records at Mont
gonlery and had discovered that there
were three bills for cotton goods shown
on the books at Spelgners amounting 20
about SlS.ooe which had mot been. entered
l1pon the books of the convict depart
ment lie stated he would complete his
Investigation by the following day,
had an interview with Examiner Mccall
at his suggestion. | Instructed Examiner
Evans to be sure and ascertain whether
the goods which were not charged upon
the books at Montgomery had been
shipped and to carefully examine the
bills of ladins at Speigners so as 10 "
absolutely certain that shipment had be-
made.
+ Condition at Banner
| ] had an interview Immediately with
/ Mr. H. Y Brooke, who reported the CON
! ditions at Banner mines I instructed
J him TO examine the bank books OF the
!, cor Wet department and ascertain whether
| the items reported to me by Mr.. Evans
| had been deposited to the credit of the
convict department and turned into tho
treasury Late Tuesday afternoon Mr.
l'Lacy came into my office and stated to
me that Mr.. Brooke was demanding his
! bank books. l asked hihb Why do you
not deliver them to him?" He hesitated
! d moment and then said: Governor,
! desire to make you an explanation. A
| great many deposits ,by The convict de-
partment are kept in banks outside Of
! Montgomery. We keep no pass book
showing these deposits but at the end OF
each month those out of town banks io'-
/. ward to the department a statement Of
the deposits. and disbursements with. the
cancelled Checks. He said "Mr. Brooke
| is standing over me demanding these
books every minute and it will be a day
orstwo before can get these returns from
| the out of town banks. and | wish that
you would tell Mr.. Brooke TO give me a
| little time and / will furnish him con-
plete statement of every banking transac-
tom of the department" I said in reply
s'Mr. Lacy, do you not keep In your office
book in which you enter every check
or bill of exchange received in payment
| for hire of convicts and other amounts
due the convict department. credited by
each check or payment which you make?''
He said in reply: Governor, | am sorry
ITO confess that we have been careless and
have. failed to keep such a book
| I said in reply: ..''Mr. Lacy ! am abso-
| lutely astounded that you. as clerk of
one of the largest departments of the
state, handling immense sums of money,
would confess that you failed to keep a
! book which even the smallest bpsiness