Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-14
STATE SENATE
MAKES PROBE OF
CONTROL BOARD
Confined from Page ons.l

tIOntinueu from rage untsl
have remedied but have been unable
to have them done through the
Board of Control"
you set yourself up as the board,
showed that you would have done
different if you were the board, in
timated that the board used poor
Judgment and criticised its actions|
asked Attorney Strobe.
Il don't know as to that" was
the answer.
you don't expect the chief book
keeper to be the board; you don't
expect that tail to wag the dog|
asked Strobe.
Il don't know as 10 that" was
the reply.
AS to Efficiency.
Attorney Strobe then asked Weld
enfield if it was his conception of
efficiency for an employe to be dis
loyal, to discredit his superiors by
destructive criticism and to try to
usurp the authority of the board.
He replied in the negative. He
elaborated his testimony by saying
that he would not have employed a
purchasing agent to have bought the
coal for state institutions had he
been the board and that Commits
sioners Holcomb and Gerdes had
said to him that they wished they
had never employed f. E. Howell
jas purchasing agent He admitted
be had never discussed the matter
with Commissioner Mayfieid.
Will Make Statement.
The former accountant testified
that he had other testimony which
he would offer at the hearing, but
that he wanted day OF so of time
in which to prepare his statement
What have you to present to the
committee, facts, impressions or
views?" asked Attorney Strobe.
81 can't tell now, | must have
time, it may take day." was
the reply.
Truck Driver Talks.
Albert c. Blair, driver of a truck
belonging to the Nebraska state pen
itentiary and an employe of the
Handcraft Furniture company. testi-
fed that he had moved six or seven
packages from the state capitol
building on the afternoon of January
IS. He did so at the order of Weld
enfield, who directed the driver to
take them to his home, and who ac-
companied him there, Blair said all
the packages were carefully wrapped
in brown paper, that it was iinpos-
sible to see the contents, and that
the packages would weight nearly
100 pounds apiece.
He testified there was one large
package, beneath the paper of which
he thought he could feel books, or
letter file. He said it was a very
heavy package.
Asked to identify the packages
which were in the chamber and
which had been returned by Weld
enfield in response to the order of
the joint committee and to the sub
poena of the sheriff of Lancaster
county, Blair looked over the pack
ages and said that none of them re-
sembled the packages he had taken
to the Weidenfeld residence and
had put in the basement.
Blair testified that he was sus-
picious at the time he moved the
packages and had so informed the
Office of the Handcraft Furniture
company, but he had neglected to
report the matter to the Board of
Control. Warden Fenton of the
penitentiary had notified tho mem
bers of the board.
Bookkeeper Loyal to Board.
Anna Yokel, bookkeeper and a
subordinate of WeidenfeM, was a
very interesting witness. She had
some strong opinions on loyalty and
told the members of the investigat-
ing committee, "this investigation
will not change anything because
you can't get anything on the
board"
In response to questions as to
conditions in the office of Weiden-
field, she said: "Mr. Weidenfeld
wrote a lot of letters which, if the
members of the board knew, they
would not let out. He was dicta-
torial and tried to make a foot ball
out of everybody. He tried to be
the board himself"
She said it was her duty to file
all letters in his department and
keep them in chronological order.
She knew of the existence of letters
which she alleged had been written
by Weidenfeld, and when instructed
by members of the board to find
them so that they could be present.
ed at the hearing she said she had
found the files very much mixed up
na,d 1919 &c A. inAAnr. ....rn..,..