The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-03-10
RECOMMEND THAT
DICK Be REMOVED
SENATE COMMITTEE UNABLE Tc
FIRE THE WARDEN, ASKS THE
GOVERNOR TO REMOVE HIM.

/ ~. D4Chs o4ur44 VI lAc SLdAe PrL--
Tertiary, received $1,000 Of a com
mission paid BY the Pauly Jail Build
ing Company Of St. Louis on sale
Of cells 10 the state for the prison,
the special committee OF senators in
yestigating the McAlester peniten-
tiary recommends that Dick be re
moved as head Of the institution.
The report, which was a unanimous
one, declares that Dicks usefulness
at the state penitentiary has ceased.
and that his removal would be in thu
best public interest.
The warden OF the penitentiary is
appointed by the governor and may
only be removed BY him. Gov. Cruce
tonight was told over the phone OF
the committees findings in its report
which was read and filed in the SEN
ate, but the governor said he was
prepared to make no statement. ne
said he wanted to see the report
first.
The most serious feature Of the
committees report is in regard to an
alleged $1,000 transaction between
Dick and John NJ. Wheeler, agent
for the Pauly Jail Building Company.
The committee finds that the money
was passed by Va certified cheek
which Wheeler purchased in Oklaho-
ma City, and the same check was de-
posted by Dick to his personal credit
IN a McAlester bank on September
I19, 1910. Records of the Oklahoma
City bank revealed that the $2,OOO
check was bought after check Civ
en- by the Pauly Jail Company was
cashcd by Wheeler
According to testimony carried IN
the committees report, both Wheeler
and Dick denied the transaction The
committees report says that the last
statement made by Dick about the
draft was to the effect he received
: II from Wheeler as a contribution TO
campaign fund.
Diligent search the committee says
fails to show that Dick made such
+ payment to any campaign fun.
5 Committees Findings.
! In summing up this feature of its
9 investigation, the committee finds
, that the $4,000 received by Dick
- was part Of commission of
G S11,957 received by John NJ. Wheeler
D from the jail company upon a con-
r tract made with the state on April
r 25, 1870 and we are Of the opinion,
the report says that the arrangement
was made between Dick and Wheeler
for the foregoing sum paid to Dick,
t before the contract was let for the
cell work.
Y The committee also found that the
} price for the cells was $4,000 in eX-
cess of a former contract.
As to the Talawanda townsite ad-
= dition adjoining the penitentiary
grounds, the committee found that
! Dick was interested therein for pri-
vate gain. State convicts and teams
| were used in leveling the tract, the
} dirt being transferred to the peni-
tentiary grounds. Guards and en-
ployes of the penitentiary were in
vited to purchase homes in the addi-
tion, the report says, at price be-
yond their worth, and in the dis
charge of employees the warden, the
= report says, always selected those
who had not availed themselves OF
the invitation.
The committee finds that Dick was
always interested in the addition and
that the various transfers of stock
and purchases of stock in the Meal
ester Real Estate Company and the
Union Security Company by III. j.
Berry, son-in-law of Dick, was for
the purpose, the committee says, of
covering up the real owner; that the
transactions were carried on so Dick,
as warden, might coerce employees
into purchasing houses and lots N
the addition. The committee says it
is not prepared to say that it was
a bad business deal for the state to
level the townsite in return for the
dirt had not the warden been inter-
lested.
An audit of the penitentiary books
the committee ordered revealed an
overpayment of $12,S15.70 to the
Texas Buildings Company on work
done at the prison, and the attorney
general is directed to bring suit
against the company to recover that
sum.
out of the 1850 inmates of the
prison. the committee finds that about
] 400 were TRUSTEES, who were permit
ted by Warden Dick to run at large