Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-16

oha ut hOt ICNdII, Uul liz
believed Mr.. Ackley was not available
"The information that l am trying
to get is this: whether or not it was
your purpose or you thought it was
your duty to avoid information that
was friendly to Mr.. Conley?" said
the court.
Witness replied he got all the infor-
nation he could from every source.
when you learned from people
whom you either regarded as friendly
to the state, or regarded as neutral,
did you then make it your business to
go into the opposition camp and get
what information you could there with
reference to the same matters?'
Eyes, / went to Missoula 10 see Mr..
Berne. | talked to Mr.. MacCalman.
OF course, / didn't go to Mr.. Conley's
friends; | felt / shouldn't 60 to them"
Colonel Nolan then asked:
Now, aside from -FOUR legal knowl-
edge in reference to. this matter. there
was a question as to whether or not
there were contracts with Mr.. COnIey
in reference to furnishing this meat
and milk. You did not go TO Governor
Norris, or to Mr.. Galen, and ask
whether there was a contract of that
kind?"
mo. / went to the prison records"
replied Macdonald.
"lou of course. proceeded upon the
assumption that as a legal proposition.
unless there was a record, there wasn't
any c~ontract?'
That was my assumption, yes"
Found No Records
You didn't find any record of q
lease on the Aylesworth ranch, yet you
proceeded upon the assumption there
was a lease, didn't you?"
Il did, | found record of the rentals
paid annually"
After counsel for the defense had
inquired of Mr.. Macdonald why he
had not consulted this and that man
who had been employed at the prison
and who would be easily reached and
the witness had made his excuses for
not having done so, the court again
interrupted with a few questions.
DO I understand that Whenever
you consulted the prison records and
they failed TO disclose information you
were seeking, then you desisted from
prosecuting any further iuquiry?'
Witness replied in the negative and
replied that in some instances when
he did not find contracts he looked no
further, but that be did make, he be-
lieved. an exhaustive search as 20
whether those contracts did exist.
Outside of the records, the records
of the prison commissioners, where
they didn't disclose anything. even if
you had knowledge this information
be available from somebody else
that had been in the employ of Mr..
whom you regarded as friendly.
did that prevent Won from making any
inquiry than what was dis
closed in the books" asked the court.
"oh. no, ] believed that / reason
exhausted the reasonable sources
of information replied the witness.
did you find how and for what
purposes those warehouses of Mr..
were used; were they used for
the %state:" asked Colonel Nolan.
Witness replied that they were used
by the state and that the books failed
to disclose that the state had ever
paid anything for them.
No Bids Advertised
"Did you ever inquire as 10 whether
bids were advertised for the furnish
ng of supplies for the prison during
he last five years."
Yes. and | found there were none"
Macdonald.
And yet you know that supplies
lad to be and were furnished for the
are Of these prisoners" remarked
Colonel Nolan. I
Bearing on the activity you dis
on this investigation. | believe
,ou presented a bill to the state for
100 a day and that it was approved =
" the governor, but opposed by the !
,ther members of the board said
colonel Nolan.
mo. sir. | did not replied NacDon- !
Id, | never put in a bill except for :
~ a dav and my expenses" ,
Macdonald was then excused and (
Accountant T.. +. Stewart was
allied to the stand and stated that he :
nd searched the basement under the '
rison office vault for the store issue !
ooks. but found no books there nor
,as he able to find any issue books s
round the premises. q
Colonel Nolan took occasion to ques- =
on him regarding his method of de- !
prmining shortages in bacon, flour,
AIMED goods and other supplies, for I
.hich Conley is asked to account, and
/ this connection he admitted he had .
nothing about the removal of n
'ormy flour until after he had com :.
leted his report and he did not know n
any credit had been given on the
ooks for such.
During the late afternoon. Miss Ger -
.ude Rathbun. assistant to the state .
ccountant, testified as to the distribu-
of coal at the prison as shown p
Y records she had obtained there. and q
it'll A. Logan, deputy state auditor. 5
as called to introduce additional y
aims. q