Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-11-01

State Committee, made in a speech
at Frankfort Saturday, in which he
quoted from statements made by
Ernest ]. Howell. formerly superin-
tendent of the Houses of Reform, in
regard to alleged exortion to high
prices paid for cloth for clothing for
the inmates of the Houses of Reform,
and in regard to coal alleged by
Howell to have been furnished the
institution by a concern in which
f. Tom Hatcher. Pikeville, one of
the members of the board. was said
| to be interested:
This man Howell is the same
man that Edwin p. Morrow, in his
opening speech of the campaign de-
lnounced as unfit to be in charge of
| the institution and cruel to the in
mates, saying that he was indicted
and should have been convicted un-
der the law of offenses against them,
and yet his. state chairman, Mr..
Franks holds him up as the chief
| impeach the integrity of the mem
bers of this board and of merchants
who had dealings with that boasd."
1HG UOdIu ouDlIlLo dn
lsigned by a Democratic campaign
committeeman in Daviess County to
prove that Howell's charges were
made only after he had failed to
obtain a promise under the admin
istration of, Governor Black, whom
he supported in the primary against
Judge Carroll. Rumors that Howell
intended to do something for Ed.
Morrow" if he wasn't taken care
of have been prevalent in Owens
boro for some time, according to
Democratic headquarters and the
fact that he intended to make some
such statement was known for some
time.
| The board in its statement sub
mits the affidavits of A. s. J. Arm
strong to the effect that he sold
certain cloth to the Board of Prison
| Commissioners. Eli Brown. Jr.. to
the effect that he had no stock in
iany firm dealing with the board and
no interest in any contract with it,
of Frank G.. COrley and the men,
| bers of the firm of Austin & Tabb
to the effect that the cloth which
Howell says was sent to Greendale
and from there to Frankfort was
sent to the Greendale institution by
mistake, and OF F. Tom Hatcher
THAT he did not sell or furnish direct
| ly or Indirectly TO the Board of
Prison Commissioners ANY coal at
any time for the State Houses of
Reform.
Discussing the charges made by
Franks and imputed to Howell
Judge Henry B. Hines, chairman of
the board. said:
"There is not a word of truth in
this latest effort Sof the Republican
machine to fool Che people of Ken
lucky on the eve of the election.
Desperate over impending defeat, it
has been the po1fy Of the Repub-
that they could lot prove or find
facts to uphold 4 y that is true of
this latest canaHd. There is no
mystery about Armstrong. His af-
fidavit ends that. The same is true
of the charges relating to Austin
& Tabb, F. Tom Hatcher and Eli
Brown. We have pen kept busy the
past three weeks 4 answering charges
of the Republican machine that had
no basis of fact to stand on. The
people of the State should take
warning and be prepared for any
kind of canard, or attack on the
character or reputation of any
Democratic officeholder, from the
governor to humber member of the
most inconsequential board of the
State from now until after election.
Their desperation in making such
blatant attacks is only evidence of
their extremity"
The statement of the Board of
Control in answer to the charges of
Franks and Howell, follows:
On June 10, 1876, H. b. Hines.
Herbert Carr and T. T. Hatcher were
Appointed by Governor Stanley as
members of the Kentucky Board of
Prison Commissioners and the State
Houses of Reform at Greendale, KY,
was one of the institutions that came
under the jurisdiction of this board.
When we assumed charge, we
found the teachers in the schools
were all men. and that teachers
certificates were not required Up
on the recommendation of Superin-
tendent Howell the Prison Board
entered an order directing that an
lequal division of teachers be male
and female, and that thereafter the
teachers appointed to fill vacancies
were to have certificates and to be
recommended by the superintendent
and approved by the board. This
same policy of recommendation by
the superintendent was pursued by
the board in reference to all en-
ployes save and except Mr.. Johnson,
assistant superintendent; Mr.. Chas.
p. Weaver, receiver; Mr.. Harris,
farmer; Mr.. Umpstead, engineer; DR..
Roberts, physician, and Mrs. A. 0.
Martin, matron.
At all times and under all cir
cumstances the board sustained the
superintendent in the employment,
discharge and suspension of en-
|ployes.
Mr.. Howell seemed to possess a
singular indisposition or inability
to sustain friendly relations with
his faculty, officers and attaches,
and this was true even with those
appointed from his own county.
At our request the superintendent
compiled a set OF rules and reg
ulations referring to the government
of the institution and these rules
were approved by the board, except
as to corporal punishment. When
the offense was of such a serious
nature as to suggest corporal punish
ment we ordered that a trial board
superintendent assistant superin-
tendent, matron and receiver) con-
slider same. And If the verdict was
not unanimous then the case be re-
ferred to the board for final action. |
When the board assumed charge |