Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-14
C0NLEY CHECKS
Continued From Page -

tCOnllnuGQ EIOn rage ~
great deal. He testified that in No
vember, 1920, during which month the
convict witness, Frank Whitlock. tes-
titled that Mrs. Conley's car was 60
ing out several times a day in the ser
vice of Mrs. Conley, that Mrs. Conley
was confined to her bed at home and
that she was not out for a period of
two and a half months.
Conley testified to the large guam
titles of gasoline used in the cars and
tractors obtained by the highway com
mission from the federal government,
which were unloaded at the prison and
driven to the State ranch several miles
away for overhauling. He said 42l
trucks and II large caterpillar tractors
were unloaded and were supplied with
gasoline taken from the prison garage
tank.
Intended to File Claim
He said that before leaving the of
flee of warden he was preparing a
claim against the highway commission
for this gasoline but did not have a
chance to finish it. He thought the
highway commission owed the prison
about $1,000 for gasoline. which was
only a part of about $4,000 to $4,000
owed the prison by the highway COM
mission.
In answer to a question by Attorney
J. F. O'ConnOr the witness said no oil
or gasoline or automobile parts were
lever given away or disposed of other
than for the benefit ofthe state. with
the exception of the gasoline used in
Mrs. COnley's car.
Under cross-examination by Attor-
ney General Wellington ID. Rankin,
who suggested that the prison had used
S24. 900 worth of gasoline. Mr., Conley
said this amoun covered oils and hub
~ricating greases as well. and that of
this sum between $4,000 and $1,000
worth went to the prison electric light
power plant.
Taking up the twelfth cause of &C.
ton, under which the state seeks to re
cover $4,000 for money expended by
the state between January. 1909. and
April II. 1921. for hay. grain and fod-
der alleged to have been converted to
the use of the defendant, Attorney
iO'Connor asked:
Did the state purchase any hay,
grain or feed for any purpose other
than to feed horses kept there for the
states purposes
THAT was ALL" was Conley's reply.
He added that this was done under
contracts made with the state board
in 1908, 1913 and 1917. that Conley &
McTague had the right to use the
horses upon their ranches as well and
that Conley & McTague sold to the
state in that time only about 5000
worth of hay.
State Bought Little Wheat
Questioned as to how much wheat
was bought for the state he said wheat
.--- -.-L - g ,- -~J
ing purposes and also for chicken feed,
to an aggregate of about $1,000. He
added that the state had sold $500
worth of wheat and had sold 81, 100
worth of turkeys one year and 5000 or
500 worth another year.
Asked about the use of bran at the
prison and ranches Conley said the
state bought from $500 to S4OO worth
of bran, which was used in mixing
with flour to be made into bread,
while Conley & McTague had bought
and paid for about $4,000 worth of
bran for feeding to dairy cows.
The chickens and turkeys, he said.
were used to feed the guards and some
chickens had been fed 10 convicts
when sick. He added that the state
got all the benefits of the chickens
and turkeys.
AS to purchases of baled hay. for
which many claims had been intro
duced by the state early in the trial,
Conley said this had been bought for
use out at the Dad camps and that
the prison had been reimbursed for
this hay by the counties or the high
way commission
Most of the forenoon was spent in
the re-introduction of claims against
the state for hay and feed, claims
which had been introduced by the
state in support of it's case as to this
cause. AS the defense went through
these claims the witness explained, as
nearly as his memory would permit,
whether this feed was used in the
prison stables or in the road camps.
All, he testified, had been used for
feeding the horses and none had been
consumed by the dairy cows or the
hogs.
The defendant further testified that
other than in the prison work the
horses We're used by Conley & Nc
Tague, as a firm. only in putting up
hay on the Irwin and Bratton ranches,
which the firm owned.
Cross-examined by Mr.. Rankin, the
witness testified that the reason for
purchasing so much hay for the road
camps was that it could not be
shipped loose, so baled hay had to be
purchased.
Thinks He Talks Crap Game
"Wasn't ~ tons of hay used in
one year?" asked Mr.. Rankin.
You're thinking of a crap game, l
guess" disgustedly replied Conley,
when you say I'll"
Conley said most of the horses used
on the road work belonged to Conley
& McTague and that the firm received
no pay from the highway commission
or the counties. any pay for this work
going to the prison.
He said the firm used as high as IL
teama an thA Elathead countx work