Bisbee daily review., 1917-09-05
REPORT SHOWS BAD CONDITION EXISTED
 AT STATE PRISON

An interesting and almost senation- al report on the state prison has been submitted to Governor Campbell by c. 2. Lee, auditor and public accountant. whose preface to the report indicates he fficulties he encountered in for mulating a report. Mr. Lee says:
 The records are very incomplete. particularly with respect to sales of supplies and cash transactions. Moth ng could be found touching on the original supplies to guards, officers md others not inmates of the institu- ion. No attempt has ever been made to keep a check on supplies from the store room. It would be an endless job to attempt to prove out the sup plies for the past two or five years or any period in the past five years in which such procedure might be at -empted
 No inventory has ever been taken, , the stock on hand would have to be guessed at as a starting point. To it would have to be added all purchases s of supplies from original claims as per invoices. From this amount would be deducted all requisitins for inmates mess covering the period, and also the amounts sold to guards mess and off cers and empolyes of the institution. plus the inventory at the end of the period Now, if there was found to be a balance of supply purchases unac- counted for during such period by the above process the question would rise To whom is the difference chargeable or who is responsible for the di5crep- 3ncy? 1 am therefore not attempting to show any discrepancy except iE d comparative way, particularly covering the period between September. 1915. used seem to have been more lax than at any other time during the past five years"
 MT. Lee made several attempts to secure assistance from former off cials of the prison. in the hope that some light might be thrown upon mis- ty transactions but was unable to do so.
 The accountant was somewhat aware Of the difficulties that lay in his way. for he had some previous ex- perience with the accounts of the pris- on. He made an audit in the summer of 1915 for the state auditor. The books and records were in very bad shape at that time and as a result of Mir. Lees findings the then secretary of the prison was asked to resign and a successor was appointed.
 The reports contains such state ments of balances and analyses Of ac- counts as could be made up from the available figures, but to the average reader they would mean little. 9th CT facts are set forth by MT. Lee in notes accompanying the report. There are many instances of irregularities and some. doubtless is of speculation.
 Ii is related that Pete Avenente. one of the guards, on october ', 1916, paid his account. evidently for supplies fur nished him. amounting to S65.iO. As has been stated. no record of charge 
 accounts could be discovered so MT. Lee could not state definitely whether this account was correct. However. the foreging amount was afterward changed on the books to SS5.4O making a reduction of cash received accord ing to the record. of $S0. This differ ence was offset by other discrepan- ancies among others an overdraft or Rrinkley. who was keeping the books a { that time Brinkley was a convict and had access to the cash. It is else where mentioned in the report that he escaped from the prison just before the management of that institution changed hands after the decision in