Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-27
COLE COUNTY GRAND JURY
RETURNS Nine INDICTMENTS

JOHN Il. OOIuON, waiter OuOIug lHSuT-
ance Commissioner; State Beer In
spector Speed Mosby, other officials
and private individuals. The state
records show the money for the coal
was not turned into the treasury.
To Start Cement Probe.
That the Cole county special grand
jury has launched an investigation of
the cement and lumber transactions
of the state penitentiary during the
when William r. Painter and ]. Kelly
Pool, members of the state prison
board, who were here, were wired by
Attorney-General McAllister to return
to jefferson City Immediately.
Painter said he and Pool had but ar
rived from Mineola Hills, where they
had gone to look into the convict road
project there, when McAllister's tele-
gram was received.
He said presumably the attorney
general wanted to take them before
the grand jury to testify with refer
the board had just concluded into ce-
ment and lumber deliveries and other
matters at the state penitentiary dur
ing the years 1915 and 1916.
Lee Jordan, head OF the Lee Jordan
Lumber Co. of Jefferson City, a promi-
nent Democratic politician, sold the
lumber and cement to the peniten-
tiary. He admitted, after an inquiry
conducted by the old board of prison
inspectors, that he had charged the
state for s3,777 worth of cement dur
ing the month of December, 1916,
which he had not delivered, and paid
this sum into the state treasury.
Jordan said he charged up for six
cars of 1859 sacks each, at so cents a
sack, then did not deliver them In or
der to reimburse himself in interest
charges for carrying unpaid state
bills.
During the year 1916 Jordan received
from the state pay for 81 carloads Of
cement for which he charged a flat
sum of $62950 each.
Similarity in Price.
He was asked how the even sum Ct
$629.50 occurred and said that was
due to his method of delivering 1853
sacks to a carload. He said if a car of
state cement did not contain 1853
sacks Of cement he would haul out to
the penitentiary from his yards
enough sacks to make up the 1853
sacks, after which he would make a
charge of $629.5O.
President Painter of the state pris-
on board said, upon the request of
Prosecuting Attorney Sewer, he had
forwarded to that official all testi-
mony which was taken in the boards
inquiry, which covered some matters
other than the cement and lumber
transactions. Painter said he sup
posed Sewer intended to lay this be-
fore the grand jury.
The boards recent inquiry into ce-
ment deliveries is included in the mat
ter forwarded to Sewer. Painter said
1t gives the date of shipment, weight
of the cars and number of sacks con-
tanned in every carload of cement for
which the state paid in 1916. He said
their figures leads the board to be-
lieve that Jordan owes the state from
$4,000 to $1,000 additional on cement,
in addition to several thousand dol
lars for empty sacks, for which he
said the state was to receive 10 cents
each.
Labor Leaders Loyal.
The lawless acts Of the |. w. w.
were bitterly denounced at the con-
vention Of the Missouri State Fedora
ton of Labor, which pledged it's 10y
atty and support to the government
in the war
The res0lutiOns Vera infrndunad hv