Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-01-24
CONTRACTOR SWEARS BEFORE
COMMITTEE THAT GRAFT
WAS PASSED AROUND.
WITNESS Given IMMUNITY
Claims That Warden D!cl, and Other
Parties Participated In Rake
off On Contract.
(BY j. A. MkEEVER.)
(Staff Correspondent)

OkLAltOMA tII1 , Jan. ia re-
markable tale of alleged graft. involv-
ing Warden r. w. Dick. of the state
penitentiary, and Oklahoma CITY and
Muskogee business mon, was unfold
ed before the special senate commit
tee, investigating the conduct of the
state penitenttary tonight.
For two nours tonight s. II. Dun
bar, an electrical contractor OF Mus
kogee. under a promise Of immunity
from prosecution, occupied the witness
stand and told what purported to be
the inside dealings of a contract he
had with the state to install power
and refrigerator plant at the state
penitentiary.
In substance he charged that there
was to be n graft OF ten per cent of
the price OF tho contract, S24,S90, to
be divided between Warden Dick, of
the penltentiary; d. G. Ridpath and
John Wheeler, OF oklahoma City, and
he was to get any other graft that he
could.
When Dunbar was placed on the
stand, Senator Thompson explained to
the committee that Mr. Dunbar might
incfiminate himself and motion was
put and carried to give him immunity
Dunbar said that he was called to
Oklahoma City by Mr.. Ridpath In
1911. and here met John Wheeler who
told him he was tG get the contract
for installing the plant at the penten-
tiary. Wheeler told him, he said. that
10 per cent of the contract price was
to go to him and Dick as they had
spent $4,000 In elec''ng the state ad~
ministration and had to get some OF
IL back. Finally the bids We're let by
the beard of affairs with the only
other bidder, Mr.. Knott, who was
then installing some work at the state
penitentiary.
Dunbar said he prepared his own
plans and that Wheeler told him in
the presence OF Dick that If he could
not get the contract on his own plans
he ought not to have 1t. On April
25 he went to the penitentiary with
a Mr.. Greenwood, a Mr.. Milbanks, and
a Mr.. Moore, who were to furnish
"Dick told me then" declared the
| witness, that he had let Knott bid
but would see that | goe the contract.
I came back to Oklahoma City to take
up the contract with the board of ar
fairs and Il. b. Howard refused to
have anything to do with IT, MT
Frame said | had better have Dick
come over so | called him up and
told him the cards were mixed and
| II l. ha N n
| ing.
''Ridpath and Wheeler told me the
next day that Howard was willing to
allow the contract to be let on per-
centage basis to give me 10 per cent
of the cost of the machinery, for in
stalling 1t. Greenwood, Mllbanks,
and Rosebush, the three subcontrac-
tors. and | went over the plans and
arranged to get out the 10 per cent
that was to go to Dick / was to get
all that was IN 1t and give up ten per
cent to Wheeler and Dick. Then we
made the contract with the board.
81 was to furnish the machinery In
operation at a cost of not more than
s24,S9O. give the board the invoices
and get ten per cent. That was my
profit, and the other ten per cent
was to come from padding the in
voices"
The witness was then excused and
| r.. b. Howard took the stand and told
Of how he suspected something
wrong with the contract and cancell-
ed 1t. All through the examination
Mr.. Howard showed up clean.
He told of refusing to accept the
second hand machinery that was tried
to be installed. He said he had heard
of the rumor Of graft In connection
with IL but It was not his business to
investigate that.
]. p. Greenwood. of Dallas, who
represented the Minneapolis Steam
Machinery Company. who had con-
tract with Dunbar to furnish two ma
chimes, was the next witness. His
memory was very poor.
"Did you understand that any per
cent was paid for that contract" he
was asked by Senator Thompson.
"That was my impression. I didn't
know who got It and didn't care. Got
the impression that a certain sum of
money was to be set aside from talk
ing TO the other men who were bid
ding"
He told Of being told to add a GER
tain sum to his bid for the engine
and said Dunbar told him to. but he
didn't know who was to get the
money but supposed 1t was to take
care OF incidentals an dcontlngencies
He said he had filed an affidavit with
/ the board of affairs when his engines
were finally turned down. but could
not remember what he said in the
affidavit.
"where did you suppose that bonus
VENT" Thompson asked.
~ surmised It went to some state
official responded the witness