Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1915-01-28
GRILLED BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE
CHARGES OF FORMER PRISON
WARDEN CONTRADICTED IN
MOST EMPHATIC TERMS

CnAHO60 VI CO1sM0Es 1sA0V3S
WARDEN CONTRADICTED IN
MOST EMPHATIC TERMS
Bismarck, N. D., Jan. PA drama
tic climax in today's proceedings be-
fore the state affairs committee Of the
house of representatives was attained
late today, when J. W. Jackson, .
member of the board Of control, Bit
terly arraigned the administration Of
Frank o. Hellstrom, as warden of the
North Dakota penitentiary.
The denunciation. came at the close
of two sessions, held in the morning
and afternoon, most of the time being
given over to Hellstrom, who made
vague charges of padded accounts, and
who real confusing array of figures,
in respect to testimony of twine pro-
duction, and who quoted literally
from the report of the board Of con-
troll two years ago as compared with
the report this year.
Jackson's Reply
Mr.. Jackson, after Hellstrom had
given his statements at great length,
responded in brief statement.
The first appropriation bill for the
state penitentiary introduced in the
last legislature assembly was on jan
uary Is, when Hellstrom was not Ger
tain that Governor Hanna's board of
control would be confirmed.
Later, when the board was confirm
ed, and Hellstrom knew he would have
to 70 out, Hellstrom came before the
appropriations committee and declar-
ed that the sum was not needed.
1--WE treated him fairly, and we
have been lied about and maligned
throughout the state ever since.
Common Sense"
"He," meaning Hellstrom, "has been
talking dollars and cents here all day.
Now l am going to talk bit of COM
mon sense.
"The state penitentiary has been
made the football of the low principled
politicians. A man who deliberately
drags the institution into politics is
unworthy of citizenship. He is far
worse than man behind the bars.
Hellstrom Assailed
"This very man who has been talk
ing of lifting up the institution, is the
first man to drag it into politics.
"He paid no attention to the board
of control, according to his own state
ments, and said to me that Mr.. Car
mody was nothing but damn fool.
eve were told and led to believe
that the penitentiary was in the best
condition of any of the institutions
under the board of control. After we
had been in charge for six months, we
were convinced that it was the worst
managed Of all the institutions.
Alleged Conditions
"In sanitation it was the worst, in
the condition of men, it was the worst,
and in food it was the worst.
"The barnyards had not been clean
ed out for three and half years, and
it is fact that we hauled out thirty
one hundred loads of manure.
"The livestock was fit subject for
the humane society, and one member
of the former board of control told me
he had quit because he did not want
to be party to it.
"It was only six months ago that we
were able to rid the cell rooms of ver-
min. Cockroaches by the hundreds of
thousands had free reign"
Mr.. Jackson also declared that
Hellstrom's expenses as warden had
exceeded those of the past two years.
Former Warden Hellstrom through
out both the morning and afternoon
sessions quoted figures at length,
questioning the business methods of
the present administration as COM
pared with the previous adminlstra-
ton, that of his own.
Talcott's Statement
Warden Talcott, replying to the as
sertion that the twine plant had been
operated over time by working in
mates twelve and half hours daily,
declared that such condition had been
made necessary by heavy contracts
that had been taken before he took
charge of the institution. while He'll
strom was in charge. Talcott also
contended that under the previous ad-
ministration not enough twine had
been manufactured to supply the de-
mand had the same rate Of output
been maintained.
Fees. to Architects
Covering the queSCl0n OF 1lIegal
fees, claimed to have been paid ar
chitects, as charged by Hellstrom. it
was the statement of the board that
they had construed the law, and had
sound advice to that effect, that ex-
penditures of such enormous magni-
tude, directed under the boards SUI
pervision, could not be supervised in
competent manner on the basis of
$500 annually, and $500 additional
for consulting architects, as provided
for under an enactment of the 1911
session.
With reference to the session law Of
1911, regarding salaries of architects,
Chairman Lewis said such law was
designed to cover the expenses Incl
dent to bringing in plans and specifi-
cations of building for which appro-
priations were asked of the legisla-
ture.
Hellstrom maintained that the mon
eys expended in excess of the 81 500
was wrongful conversion of the pub
lie funds.
Figures Favor Board
Niece. oo,,or;oo Tho hoard of con.