Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-13
MEAT
FED At PRISON,
SAYS CONVICT
New Conley Accusation
Charges 48 Quarters
Tainted Beef Used.
Half Price Pork Deal
Held Profit to State,
Even if Swill Taken.
(Tribune's Helena Bureau.)

(Tribune's Helena Bureau.)
Helena, May 12.-Following upon the
statement of convict witnesses called
by the state on previous days to show
that great quantities of milk, hominy
| and oatmeal from the prison kitchens
and dining rooms were dumped into the
swill barrels and fed to the hogs, wit
ness of the same class went on the
stand Friday in the case of the state
against former Warden Frank Conley
and testified that large amounts Of
spoiled beef travelled like route.
Two witnesses were on the stand
Friday. detailing stories of how tainted
beef was brought into the prison and
served to prisoners, but it was so bad
the men would not eat it and it eventu-
ally was utilized in feeding the hogs
from which the state claims Conley
afterwards sold pork to the state.
Some Spoiled Meat Was Boxed
The two witnesses told of different
instances of spoiled meat, one stating
that it was in beef quarters and that as
high as As of these quarters We're bad
and both the cooked and uncooked meat
was thrown out. while the other wit
mes said that the spoiled beef he
handled came in small pieces packed in
boxes and that he hauled several truck
loads of it TO the hogs.
One of the witnesses testified also
as TO the oatmeal, hominy and milk
which went into the swill barrels, but
he was not nearly so generous as some
of the previous witnesses and he re-
duced his portions of each class of
waste from 80 to IS per cent less than
that fixed by witnesses who had testi-
fled previously.
Cascade Prisoner Testifies
Kenneth Dean. who was sent to the
penitentiary early in 1919 from Cas-
cade county to serve term of two TO
five years after having pleaded guilty
to a charge of forgery, was called to
the stand by the state to testify as
TO the waste of milk at the prison.
He said that after entering the prison
he worked in he kitchen and after his
first year there was mnde chef. He
testified that approximately 20 gallons
of milk went into the swill barrel from
the prison kitchen every day.
Under cross-examin8tion by Judge J.
f. O'COnnor, he said he was 90 years
of age. his home in San Francisco. and
that he came to Montana in March.
1919, and two weeks after his arrival
was sent to the state prison. He said
that three months later he tried to
get away, was caught by Warden Con-
ley and because of this break he for
feited his right to parole, and that
he was given an additional sentence
of one to two years for breaking jail |
He said he was made trusty in
March, 1922. and is now chef in the
outside kitchen.
Sack of Hominy Week
Although he had not been questioned |
on direct examination as TO anything
but the milk which he said was put
into the swill barrels. the defense in |
terrogated him regarding other refuse |
from the kitchen and his answers
proved contradictory to the testimony !
given the previous day by the former /!
guard, Harry Holland. which had
showed that in the neighborhood of 400
pounds of hominy was cooked weekly
and most of it wasted in the swill. |
Dean said that but one sack of about |
100 pounds of hominy came into the
kitchen weekly. but he said the prison
ers would not eat it, as it was not !
properly cooked. He said that oatmeal /
was used in the kitchen weekly to the
extent of one and quarter or one and
half sacks per week, these sacks
supposed to contain about 100 pounds, +
but sometimes they were lighter.
Then Tells of Spoiled Meat
He said the milk came into the
Kitchen in 10 gallon cans. but that
they usually contained about eight
gallons each. that three or four full
cans were sent daily to the dining
room and the balance placed in the
rommissary. He testified that no milk
was put into the swill barrels the same
lay it came in. but that the milk so
wasted was milk which had come in
The previous day. He did not know
what became of the refuse milk from
he dining room tables. H
Dean was then excused but later was
recalled by Mr.. Rankin to testify as to
spoiled meat having been served to
he convicts. He said that in August.
September and probably during part
If October, 1920, considerable spoiled
,eef came into the kitchen which the ,
'onvicts would not eat and it had to
,e thrown into the swill, about 200 i,
pounds per day.
Varied Good and Bad Meat
Under cross examination he said that
It this time of the year beef was served
learly every day, that spoiled meat j.
would be served one day and probably
he next day good meat would be sent
n. He said that two front quarters
# beef were sent in each day that beef |
vas used and that he noticed the good
'arts of the quarter, the loin parts,
to about 30 pounds had been I
hopped out of each quarter. He fig 10