Great Falls tribune., 1921-11-30

KROGANS & FRANK
Bought of
MONTANA STATE PRISON
423 800 brick
270.O0O brick paid to MIR. John Berne
LES, 600 brick balance at 1890 1.ss55o
700 brick at 1900 s10
2,oo4so
Correction A-92 1900
1881 so
No other mention appears to be made
in the prison books anywhere OF the
210,0 900 brick.
Berne Gets Many Brick.
Accordingly we made a trip to Mis-
soula to interview John Berne for the
purpose of ggNting an explanation of
the transaction, and if possible to get
some idea of what the brick yard pro-
duction had been for the several
years that Mr.. Berne superintended
the brick yard. Mr.. Berne was unable
to give any statement which would
even approximate the production. tie
did state however, that when he set
tied up with Mr.. Conley that he got
$4,000 in cash (above shown and
27O,OOO brick. When asked if he could
give the items for which this S3,olO
worth of brick was given him, he stat
ed he could not. that it was all one
deal, that it paid for the land, paid for
brick which was on the brick yard
ground in 1916, for wet pan or
crusher which the state had been using
to make terraza for Warm Springs
for the past six years, and for clay,
gravel and shafting that he had furn-
ished the prison.
The former warden stated that as
he remembered it the 210,0OO brick
were owed to John Berne, because
these brick were on hand when the
state took over the plant in 1913. 1t
seems impossible that either state
ment can be correct.
Mr.. Berne stated that he did not
know how many brick were in the
brick yard in 1916 or how many brick
he furnished. He says they just used
the brick to build the kilns and brick
yard house, that no record was ever
kept of them, or any charge made, no
price was agreed on for the land
where the prison property was located,
and that nothing was said about pay
until he was discharged in the autumn
of 1919"
The prison records show that after
the time that these bricks are alleged
to have been furnished, Mr.. Berne
bought brick from the prison at $500
per thousand each year, up until the
year 1915.
Mr.. McCallam states that he built
the present brick yard plant, and that
he got the brick from the prison brick
yard, which was at that time being
operated to the south of the prison
walls.
In regard to the clay Mr.. Berne was
paid $3.50 for clay for one million brick
at 35 cents thousand in 1912. He
was paid for shaftng furnished in
1916 in addition to shaft clutches and
pulleys that he was paid for in 1912.
If he furnished any clay after 1912 it
must have come from the tract which
he sold to the prison in 1920 at over
5000 an acre. Certainly if Mr.. Berne
had any claim against the state it
should have been passed upon and
paid according to law. The former
warden should account for $3.50 on
this transaction. (For. statement of
John Berne see exhibit.)
Brick In coniey Buildings.
Superintendent McCallam estimates
the brick used in other buildings of
Conley & McTague at 90,419. Your
committee has not gone to the expense
of having estimates of the value of
these buildings made. In all these
cases it would seem that where prison
and labor has been mingled
with other material in the building and
where the former warden has made no
attempt to keep any account of the
brick used in these buildings, or the
labor employed that he should be re-
nuired to account for the full value of
these buildings.
Mr.. Conley in defense says that in
1895 he loaned" brick to the prison
for the building of what is new Cell
House No. 2 to the extent of 450, 900,
and that he made million brick which
were used in Cell House No. 1. In
1909 by act of the legislature COM
nittee was appointed to inventory all
of the property which Conley & Me-
Tague had in the prison premises.
Brick, lumber and all items going into
The construction Of these buildings
furnished by Conley & McTague were
ninutely itemized and Conley & Me-
Tague were paid therefor by an appro-
priation Of the legislature, 1911, of
s6O, 900.
Also the property In the prison was
eased to the state by Conley & Me-
rague between 1909 and 1911 and in
he property leased was q brick maxi
ng outfit which the state leased be-
.ween 1909 and 1911 from Conley &
McTague and which it purchased in
1911 paying Conley & McTasue tie
III -