Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-04-20
GRANITE MATTER
WILL Be PROBED
DEPARTMENT OF CHARITIES AND
CORRECTIONS WILL con-
DUCT INVESTIGATION.
more ROTTENNESS CHARGED
Said That Institution at Pauls Valley
IL In Wyrsc Condition Than
Other I.cformat0ry.

OKLAHOMA CITY. April 10
Especial "A public investigation OF
the conditions existing at the state
reformatory at Granite which the
house investigation committee brand
ed as "A Black Hole OF Calcutta,
will be conducted in Oklahoma city
by the department OF charities ana
corrections. This was decided upon
Saturday upon receipt of a commu-
nication from the governor request
ing such a probe,
The investigation will be conduct
ed independently of the house gem
eral investigation committee or of
any other legislative probe and will
be held for the purpose Of informing
the governor and other members Of
the prison board of control whether
conditions at Granite are such as to
Justify summary removal of Warden
Reed and Deputy Warden Hackett
as recommended by the house com
mittee. The hearing will begin next
week, probably about Tuesday. The
department of charities and corerc-
tons Will be represented at the hear
ing by Judge Ross +. Lockridge, gen
eral attorney to the charities COM
missioner who Is now preparing a
list of witnesses that Will be sum-
moned. Attorney General West Will
also assist In the probe. The investi-
CATION will be conducted in as large
quarters as can be obtained and the
public will havt access to the hear
ing. One of the criticisms made by
the governor upon the house investi-
CATION was that the meetings Of the
committee were secret and to GER
tain degree ex-parte.
The Granite Reformatory scandal
came befoer the house again Satur-
DAY morning for short time when
resolution was introduced by Lemon,
of Grant, to appoint a committee OF
FIVE including the speaker to edit tho
evidence brought out in the invesu-
CATION and eliminate such matter as
might not be admitted to the mails.
The terms used by witnesses in des-
cribing conditions We're so revolving
In some cases that some of the house
members feared that Uncle Sam
would arrest members of the legisla-
ture who attempted to send copies
ordered printed by the house, to their
constituents. Representatives VIII
Hams of Comanche and eNatch OF
Johnston, both newspaper publishers,
were of the opinion that anything
that Is a matter of record in the leg
islature may be sent through the
mails. representative Smith Of Pot
tawatomie desired time to investi-
gate the legal phases of the question
and the matter went over for one day.
The house voted Saturday morning
upon motion of Representative Peery
10 increase the number of copies OF
evidence to be printed for general
distribution from 1000 to 5000.
Each representative will be given his
pro rata share Of the copies for dis
tribution among his constituents.
The governors message which set
the house by the ears Friday ana
which that body ordered returned to
him by vote of Ga to II. will have
no resting place in any of the ofriclal
archives Of the state. The house vot-
ed late Friday afternoon to reject 1t
because members considered 1t an
insult to the legislature and not
within the purview of the constitu-
ton. 1t was ordered returned to the
governor together with resolution
stating the reasons Of the house for
this action. The house messenger
was given the message and ordered
to deliver 1t to the governor in per
son. When the messenger attempted
TO hand the message to the governor
he refused to accept 1t stating that
he had retained an official copy.
The message was consequently re-
turned to the house chambers where
IL had been refused an official home.
The original document Is now In pos
session Of Representative Hin of
Pittsburg county, vice chairman or
the house general investigation COM
mittee who is retaining 1t pei sonally
but not part of the house records.
When the order of executive mes
sages' was announced In the house
Saturday a ripple of excitement went
over the body when Luther Harrison,
the reading clerk proceeded to read
another message from the governor.
1t developed, however. that this was
only mild communication from the
governor requesting copy of the
evidence taken in the Granite re-
formatory hearing. Governor Cruce
stated in his message that he could
not act intelllgently upon the report
until he had time to go over all the
evidence and that he desired an Of
fetal transcript of the evidence.
Vice Chairman Hill of the general
investigation committee moved that
the request of the governor be grant |
ed and the motion was adopted. Hill
stated that he had supposed from the |
nature of the message OF the COVER