Omaha daily bee., 1919-04-02
CONTROL BOARD
TURNED WOMAN
EXPERT DOWN
Continued From First Page.

did not consider the agreement en-.
tered into by the board to be i'll tlit
| nature of contract, but considered
it an order. The board dependet
upon Commissioner Holcomb for l..
gal advice and the latter had no,
considered bond necessary in this
case or in that with E. f. Howell
purchasing agent.
Didn't Follow Market.
Asked why the board had received
coal from the Victor American Fuel
company at 500 per ton, when the
company was selling the same coal
to individuals at $l.60 per ton, he
answered:
II am not coal man and did not
follow the market"
A letter was then produced, writ
ten by members of the board to the
fuel company calling attention to
the fact that it was offering to sell
to one of the stewards of state
institution coal at lower price than
it was selling the state.
Mr.. Mayheld was asked by At
torney Wilson why the Board of
Control had returned no finding in
the case of Miss Lydia Mcmahon.
He said that he was ready in IS
minutes to make a finding so far
as he was personally concerned, but
that Judge Holcomb had advised
that no formal finding be made for
the reason it would entail a cost of
$500, and Miss Mcmahon had re-
signed after the hearing.
Mr.. Mayafeld was questioned
why he had not returned the let
ter belonging to Miss Tannebaum,
which had been taken by George
Weidenfeld, former accountant of
the board, without the owners
knowledge. Mayfeld replied that
he had placed the letter in a port
folio and had forgotten it.
DO you not think, Mr.. Mayfeld,"
asked Attorney Wilson, that it was
Just as wrong to keep that letter as
it was for Weidenfeld to take it,"
Mr.. Mayheld did not give a direct
answer.
Slam at Weidenfeld.
George Weidenfeld, who was the
first person on the stand at the
morning hearing, was suddenly and
CURLY dismissed by Attorney Viii
son, who informed him: 1--WE have
heard all we want from you. Your
charges are so indefinite they have
no value"
During the afternoon session most
of the time was devoted to the con-
ditions at the Geneva School for
Girls, and Mayfeld was on the stand
during the entire time.
Mayheld stated that a year ago
he and Gerdes were called into the
office of Governor Neville, where
they found some friends of Miss
Lydia Mcmahon, deposed superin-
tendent of the girls school. They
had called in her behalf and they
were Johnny Byrnes, a politician
from Columbus; BAT" Koehler.
coal man, and Bentley, a plumber,
both from Geneva"
Koehler Quotes Gerdes.
Mayfield said that at the confer
ence Koehler tried to make it ap-
pear that Mayfield and Gerdes had
had trouble and quoted Gerdes as
saying: "Mayfield came on the board
with a bible in one hand and re-
,olver in the other. He desired to
-ase hell and he has done it."
What did the governor have to
say to that?" he was asked by At
:orney Wilson.
Search mel" was Mayfield's an
,wer,
Asked in regard to the witness re-
quest of Miss Mcmahon for a for
nal hearing, he said that the first
he board had heard about the Pagan
,ase was from the newspapers, but !
hat the board had taken no notice
If these reports until the official
documents had reached it.
These papers charged that Miss
in effect had tried to |
,rotect Pagan, who was bandmas-
er at the girls school, and who had |
'een charged with criminal relations |
With one of the female employees, in
hat she had withheld from the board |
my information on the matter.
Settled With Miss Mcmahon.
She justified herself with the ex-
'lanation that she wanted to protect
he girls good name. Mayfield de-
lied that any of the girls who had
estified against Miss Mcmahon |
we're rewarded with paroles. He
aid that Miss McMahon's resigna-
ion was demanded by Judge Hol-
omb, representing the board, after
careful inquiry into conditions at
Geneva had been made. He said that
t the hearing it was disclosed that
Mss Mcmahon owed the state $3.50,
'ut that the claim was settled be-
ween her attorney and Judge Hol- |
omb, the board holding up her last
monthly warrant on Judge Hol-
onb's advice.
Mr.. Mayfield testified that he had
eceived a petition from ga girl in
mates of the Geneva school asking |
hat Superintendent McAuley be re-
aimed.
do you think McAuley should
re retained?" asked Attorney Will
on.
mo, his usefulness ended with the
Iotoriety he got for his methods of
orporal punishment" answered |
bayfield,. "They were severely
riticised."
McAuley's Day Over.
DO you believe in his methodist"
vas the next question.
No, do not believe in corporal
punishment. l first heard of the
ublic whippings from a high-class
omaha woman whose name / shall
lot mention here. McAuley came in
few days afterward and | told him,