The copper era and Morenci leader., 1918-04-26
CONVICT MUT|NY
 PAPER CANARD'
STATEMENT ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN MADE BY CHAIRMAN OF COMMISSION OF STATE lNSTI- TUTIONS AFTER VISIT TO CEtF. TON.

COMMISSION OF STATE INsTI-
 TUTIONS AFTER VISIT TO CEtF-
 TON.
 The Hon. Leroy Ladd, of the State, Commission, recently visited Clifton, where he came as a special represen- tative of the administration to in vestigate the trouble that has exist ed at the convict camp near this place. MT. Ladd arrived in Clifton last Fri day, coming through Lordsburg, where he left State Engineer Atwood. The engineer had previously been in this locality where he completely CD restored order at the camp, and left everybody happy and the sun shine of perfect contentment" over both l the guards and the convicts. In fact he stated that everything was lovely at the camp"
 There was a reason, perhaps, for l this stopping at Lordsburg. One would suppose that he cared very lit | tie to again so soon visit the scene where he left everything lovely" only to find that matters were in very little better condition than when he found them In fact on Mr.-At- woods visit here he stated that there had never been any trouble at the camp. A slight misunderstanding be- tween the convicts, guards and off, cers, but no real trouble.,' This was as near the truth as the statement that everything was lovely" when I he left. The truth about the matter I is that MT. Atwood as pacifier
 proved a dismal failure, and the pre- | sumption is that he did not care to face the town. after his statements
 had been published. It was well known that the convicts I failed to go to work, even after the
 state engineer had paid them a visit
 of state, and were not at work the day | that MT. Atwood left Clifton.
 While here the State Engineer placed Jim Cash in charge as captain, de noting Captain Mccullough, and upon
 his request Superintendent Taylor was induced to go back and try 1t
 over again as superintendent of the
 camp. But MT. Cash's tenure of the office as captain of the guards was
 of short duration. Evidently even he
 gave up the job in disgust, as he
 left for his home in Lordsburg the
 day after the departure of the State
 Engineer, leaving one Of Clifton's
 merchants in charge, presumably with
 'plenary" powers. After the depar
 ture of the State Engineer, and the
 resignation of MT. Cash, the demands
 of the convicts were complied with
 as Harry Mccullough was restored to
 his former position as captain of the guards. Then it was for the first
 time that everything was lovely" in
 deed at the camp. The convicts had gained their point, and their favorite IT. W. w. was again in charge, SC
 .1Bhkabible.
 Ladd Gets Interview.
 But it seems that something was
 still amiss. For now comes another : representative of the administration to pay visit of state to the pets oi !, the governor. This was the visit oi the Chairman Ladd referred tc ] above. After returning to Phoenix he gets himself intervied by the ) Republican in which he also states
 that everything is lovely'' at the camp, and told the Republican that , the threatened outbreak among the convicts seemed to be principally ir the mind of a Clifton newspaper man But read what he got of on the re porter:
 !; Everything is quiet at the road : camps on the Clifton-Solomon- vile highway, "said Leroy A. Ladd chairman of the commission of state institutions, who returned yesterday from that district where - he had gone in response to word .i that trouble was feared among
 the convicts engaged on road
 work
 ''The threatened outbreak among g the convicts seemed to be princi- , pally in the mind of a Clifton
 newspaperman," MT. Ladd stated. There is no trouble. The con- l victs are all working and appear
 to be satisfied with the state of affairs. talked with the guards and went into the stockade and
 talked with the convicts. The feeling seems to be very good ! .. ''The convicts are doing good work on the road, and Arizona is going to have fine highway when it is complete, which will be in short time. At one camp ten miles out from Clifton, there are 88 prisoners. They work at pres Fl ent twelve miles further on to- ward Solomonville, but there is | no water nearer, so the camp can not be closer to the work. They are taken to work in automobiles. There is another road camp on the same highway nearer Clifton where there are 15 convicts:: They are doing maintenance work on the section between Clifton and the road camp. This work will soon be done, and then the camp will be moved near the main camp.
 | "This highway when done will be 35 miles long and will connect | Clifton and Solomonville, joining | with the road through the Gila | Valley and the Apache Trail, mak- ing complete highway from | Phoenix to Clifton, 222 miles long. | In addition to this fine highway II 1r,;11 ha o1o