The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-04-20
DEALS A HARD BLOW To
MEMBERS Of THE LEGISLATURE
SAYS REPORT GRANITE REFoRMAToRY WAS PURPOSE
DlScRE DITiNG THE STATE ADMINISTRATION - CHARGES
BROKEN FAITH AND LAVISH EXPENDITURES.


i the committee in undertaking to IN
t, stitute impeachment proceedings.
! know why this is so; that member:
of that committee are disappointed
J and angry because they have beer
unable to foist upon the people o
this state legislation that was in
iqu!tous and outrageous. If ! had sign.
ed the Muskogee fair bill and the re-
districting bill, and thus permitted
certain members of that committee
to pave their way to seat in con
gress, there would have been ne
such report emanating from this
committee as the one you listened tC
yesterday.
'In the concluding paragraph OF
the report the committee expresses
its opinion as to what the historian
100 years hence will say when he
reads the report of this committee
If this report is ever scanned by
the eyes of an honest man 100 years
hence and he is at the same time
apprised of the facts and conditions
under which this report was made
the surprise that the people of that
age will express will be how any
people were ever so deceived into
placing into responsible position men
capable of publishing such a report.
"Now, as to the report. AS to the
| charges made against Warden Reed
and the assistant, ] will withhold COM
ment and will state that no judg-
ment will be passed upon this case
until | have been placed in posses
Cinn nf thn auiInnnn falsnn hU tbiC
committee. If one-half of the things
charged against them by this report
is trne, they should be summarily
removed from office. If, however,
the committee has as flagrantly mis-
stated facts with reference to the
warden and deputy as they have with
reference to the members of the
board of control, then there is abso-
lutely no reliance whatever to be
placed upon this report.
No Notice to Board.
81 shall deal with the report as
it affects the board of control, as
am a member of that board. To be-
gin with. the board of control was
not under investigation, and If it
was being Investigated no notice
whatever was given to the board that
such was the purpose of the com-
niittee. 7 was invited to go before
that committee last Saturday night
and appeared and testified under
oath, and in the face of this testi-
mony the report ignores every state
ment that | made and bases its find
ings upon statements | presume were
ynaIo bV other witnesses
Such proceeding as this is IN
heard of in civilized communities.
Any man charged with crime in this
state is given the opportunity To-
face his accusers and question and
cross question the witnesses who tes.
tlfy against him. No such opportuni-
ty was given in this case. The
whole proceeding was a star cham
Der proceeding, the investigation be-
ing conducted behind closed DOORS
and the first intimation that | had
and, so far as | know, any member
of the board of control had, that
their official conduct was called in
question was when the report YVES
read in your body yesterday. This
conduct and this procedure may meet
W ibi IiiV upplONdl vi liltlllDtlS vi
this committee, but it will meet the
deserved condemnation of every fair
minded citizen in this state.
THE report charges that the gov
ernor and members of the board of
control are incompetent and have
absolutely neglected their duty as
members of the board of control. and |
that no effort has been made by any |
member of the board to correct the |
complained of at that in
stitution. IT is further charged that
of the conditions exist
ing at the state reformatory have
been made to the governor, the at
torney general, and president of tho |
hoard of agriculture, and that they
have made no attempt to verify the
existence of said conditions that
were painfully apparent to the chap
plain OF the state reformatory and
various employees, and to numbers
OF men and women residing in the
neighhorhood of the institution.
Charges Made to Cruce.
Il stated to the committee under
oath that no charges such as COM
blamed OF in the report of this com
mittee had ever been called to my
attention. and | state here that the
first time charge of this kind was
ever brought to my attention was
last Saturday night, when members
Of the committee detailed to me the
character of the evidence that they
had listened to. | told what charges
had been made against that institu-
ion, one by Rev. b. n. Hultsman.
he eX-chaplain. and by some women
and others of Greer county. In neith-
ar instance was there any charge
made further than that relating to
he conduct of Mr. Reed, and the
charge as to him was that he was
IN irreligious man and INDUCED in
practices not calculated to bring
about reformation among the inmates
If the institution.
Il notice that the committee laws
'reat stress upon the testimony of
Rev. Hultsman. / stated to the com
nittee that | regarded him as
splendid gentleman and one entirely
'eliable. | still think so, but if he {
las made sworn statements to the