The diamond drill., 1921-08-13
INDICTMENTS IN
PRISON PROBE
SIXTEEN PERSONS ARE ACCUSED
BY THE GRAND Jury
SOME SEEMS TO Be TRIVIAL
Past Officers as Well as Others
Are Gathered Into Sweeping
Accusations of Graft

Accusations of Graft
The grand jury that has been con-
sidering the Marquette prison short
ages for the past few weeks made its
report last Friday afternoon bringing
indictments against sixteen past
officers, present officers and out
siders
Swan Alfred West and James Rus
sell are charged with the appropriation
OF $S,119.60 OF money and property
of the state OF Michigan.
Everett A. Thornton Joseph Cone
and w. A. Herbert. officers OF the
Marquette Box e. Lumber company,
and James Russell. the former war
den, are charged with unlawful con-
spiracy TO defraud the state in con-
nection with the contracts held by the
concern.
Similar indictment is found against
Gustave @. and Louis s. Shauer, In
association with Mr. Russell. The
Shauers for a long period held glove
and overall contracts at the prison
and later were sales agents for the
institution.
Frank c. Helm OF Chicago Is
charged with unlawfully combining
with others 20 obtain for themselves
a sum Of money, 5000 and upwards.
Frank A. Ledstrand. Theodore p.
Catlin, Fred G. Meenhennitt, James l..
DEACON, Robert Rheinhardt and Eu-
gene Johnson are each charged with
unlawfully purchasing from the in
stitution goods. wares and merchan-
disc.
Albert Hornstein, Frank J. Russell
and John G.. Stenglein are charged
with having unlawfully combined TO
sell printing to the value OF $500
turned out by The Mining Journal
company Ltd, In which the late
James Russell was a part owner. and
billing II through the Stenglein
Bindery, contrary to the statute max
ing Illegal such dealings.
Frank G. Helm, OF Chicago, former
sales agent OF the prison, is charged
with intent TO defraud and cheat the
state and fraudulently to have OBJ
tanned the sum Of $1,000 as an illegal
profit upon the sale of 200 dozen pairs
OF overals OF the value OF 1900.
James l.. DEACON, Theodore B. Cat
lin, Robert Rheinhardt. Eugene John
son, Frank A. Ledstrand and Frank
Russell are charged with combining
to purchase from the l. c. store. con-
Quoted by the state at the prison gro
ceries, provisions and household
goods to the value OF $500
James DEACON. the steward az the
prison, is charged with Appropriation
OF 400 pounds OF fish, OF the value
of 500, and OF other property to his
own use and the use OF other persons
unknown OF the value of $500.
An indictment against t. A. Mac
donald IS based on alleged failure to
report TO the board OF control Ger
tain irregularities coming 10 his
knowledge in connection with the So
called Helm-Sames overall contract,
snch failure constituting, Il Is al
legged. the offense OF compounding a
felany.
Swan Alfred West Is charged with
criminal conspiracy with H. A. Mac
donald and Frank G. Helm to obtain
for thmeselves $500 and upward.
The grand jury had a long grind.
its sessions having started on July
13 and continued almost without in
termission up to Saturday noon. The
jurymen and attorneys were heartily
tired or their tasks and ex-
pressed satisfaction that Il had been
brought 10 a conclusion. Those OF
them approached on the subject ex-
pressed reticence about the course OF
events In the secrecy Of the jury
room.
Politics Scored
Under the heading OF general re-
marks, II. A. Higgins. OF Chicago
who directed the audit OF prison
books. said In his report to the Jury
"The condition OF affairs. as set
forth in his report illustrates clear
" what results ordinary political ad-
mlnistratlon and management OBJ
tanned. Just as long as the manage
ment OF public institutions IS sus-
ceptible TO political influence, just so
long will II be found that the insti-
tutions are mismanaged and prob
ably the funds thereof wasted and
frequently misappropriated. No
doubt similar conditions could be
found to exist In many other public
institution maintained under the
same influences.
1T appears that the conditions ex-
isting in this institution should long