Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-30
SAYS SURPLUS,
NOT SHORTAGE,
|. LEFT At PRISON
Ex-State Accountant
Says Nearly 3 Tons
of Flour Over Check.
Credits 9 Pounds of
Meat to Shrinkage;
Had Coffee Over, Too.
(Tribune's Helena Bureau

Helena. June % Instead of there
being a shortage of bacon, flour, suga
and coffee at the time Frank Conle
turned the prison over to the present
warden. as claimed by the state in it
case against Conley and based upor
the report of state Accountant F. f
Stewart, there was on hand an actua
surplus, according TO the testimony o
a former state accountant given Thurs
day during the trial of the action. The
witness to this fact testified he had
made complete check of the prison
accounts and verified them in court
from papers previously introduced in
evidence by the state.
An inventory of the prison store
keeper showing property of the state
in the prison store as of date Novem-
Der 80, 1920 was introduced, this in
ventOry containing no items covering
guns. blankets, harness and saddles.
which were removed from the prison
store when Conley left that institution
and which he has been claiming as his
personal property.
Says State Check Short
The witness further testified that
the inventory taken by the state two
control of the prison failed to take
into account thousands of pounds of
meat in the cold storage. vegetables,
coal or any supplies other than those
on hand in the prison store.
He said he had in his official capac-
ity audited many claims for pork in
favor of George Johnson. Jr.. and was
then under the impression Johnson was
an agent for Conley.
X. J. Lemert. former state account
ant, who has been engaged for NUM-
ber of months by the defense in the
capacity of expert accountant, re
sumed the stand Thursday morning and
testified that Mr.. Conley, as warden of
the prison. had no control over the
accounting system at the prison, that
being entirely in the hands of the state
accountant
He was shown an inventory of goods
in the prison commiSsary as of date
30. 1920. which was then
in evidence by the defense,
and said this had been taken by the
storekeeper and delivered to the wit
ness in his official capacity and ac-
cepted by him as correct He said the
inventory was used by Governor ;. V.
Stewart in connection with an inquiry
into shortage in the store as Of April
30. 1920 He testified that this inven-
tory does not show there 10 have been
in the prison store any guns, blankets.
harness or saddles.
Replying to the report of state
Accountant Stewart. which showed,
upon a basis of the McFatridge inven-
tory of April 10. 1921, a shortage of
$50 pounds of bacon, the witness
exhibits and figures which
he said indicated an actual shortage of
but nine pounds. which, he held, might
De accounted for by shrinkage.
Nine Pounds Meat Short
He testified that the total of the
purchases Of bacon by Conley, as in
'olved in the suit, was 4,o34 pounds,
hat no bacon was purchased for the
prison after the change of wardens up
% September %. 1921. He then intro
iuced records from the prison journal
md kitchen requisitions of bacon TO
outside camps between the time OF the
aking of the inventory up to the latter
,art of August, 1921, totalins 4,o23
pounds, leaving but nine pounds un-
accounted for.
AS to the alleged shortage IN flour
he witness said he had checked the !
iour accounts in December, 1921. and !
anuary. 1922 that as far as shown by |
he McFatridge inventory and the
ssue slips taken into consideration by
State Accountant Stewart there was an |
pparent book shortage of 1850
ounds.
He testified that there had been no |
ssue slips for 9.315 pounds of barley |
lour and that deducting this amount !
rom the 1886 pounds left an ap- !
aren't shortage of 6.O5O pounds. He
dded that the inventory had failed to !
AXE into account 10000 or 10000
ounds of old war flour which had been !
emoved to the Conley & McTague
yarehouse because of its wormy con
ition, and no credit given upon the /
ooks. In addition to this testimony he |
cad into the record monthly requisi- /
ion reports of the issue of supplies to
he various prison departments and
mergency slips showing issue of flour |
55.O35 pounds and said
hat creditng this against the charges |
or the flour on hand and purchases |
.ft a surplus of two or three tons.
1000 Pound Sugar Surplus
AS to the sugar shortage alleged by !
be state, Mr.. Lemert testified that the !
1ventory of November 30, 1920. devel-
ped that there was on hand 2O2O
ounds and that subsequent purchases.
p TO April 10, 1921, covered 6.52S
Ounds, total of S.54S pounds. He
MD the McFatrdge inventory of April
9, 1921, showed 75O pounds on hand,
nd that the requisition slips of the in
ervening period had accounted for the
isposition Of 6,743 pounds which would
ave 1866 pounds unaccounted for.
Iowever, he said, his subsequent in
estigation of the requistion slips ac-
Dunted for Sill pounds, instead Of
743 pounds. so there should be
lrplus of 314 pounds,