Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-03
WALTON RANCH
PURCHASEDF0R
STATE--CO -CON[EY
Says Still Willing to
Sell at Original Cost
Plus improvements.
Court Is Told Warden
Took Property Because
Board Lacked unds.
(Tribune's Helena Bureaul

the Walton ranch near the state prison
was purchased by Frank Coniey IN
1920 and his purpose contemplated the
turning over to the state of the ranch
at the actual amount he had invested
therein, Conley told the district court
Friday while being examined as to the
second cause of action in the trial of
the case of the state against him grow
ing out of his stewardship of the af-
fairs of the state prison.
1t was upon this ranch that large
number of permanent farm buildings
were afterward erected, a portion of
the cost being borne. by the state and
the rest paid by Ccnley and McTague.
Conley said he bought the land at $26
per acre, when the state could not
produce money for its purchase, and
he made the purchase under authority
of the state board of prison commits
sioners, expected and is still willing to
turn it over to the state at the cost
price. together with interest on the in
vestment and money put into improve
ments by himself and his partner. He
denied that he had ever suggested that
the state pay $50 per acre for it, as
had been testified to earifer in the
trial by two of the states witnesses.
Relates Growth of Prison
Upon resuming the stand under re-
direct examination by Attorney j. F
O'Connor at the morning session, Mr.
Conley, with the use of a large pen and
ink drawing of the prison premises in
1913, as compared with one showing
the prison in 1856, when he was first
employed there as a guard, related the
growth of the institution.
He said when he came to the prison
it consisted of a stone cell house, two
log buildings and board fence IA feet
high enclosing the grounds. He said
the first wing of the stone building, 80
by 40 feet. and three stories in height
built in 1870, cost the federal govern
ment $4,000: that the middle section.
30 feet long. cost the government S25,-
600. and that the wing, built in 1885
with room for 50 prisoners, cost $40.
600. This building still stands between
the two cell houses afterward built by
the state
He said building No 2, 100 by 20.
four stories and containing 200 cells.
was built in 1891 and cell building No
l. $50 by so, holding 400 prisoners, was
built in 1912. This he said was com
pletely fireproof and did not contain
stick of wood.
itNoIuNo tHFSf LHS sLdtC nuN
prior to 1913. built several structures
which have since been combined into
one large building 240 by 40 feet, con
tanning kitchen and dining room. laun
dries, barber shop. bake shop. carpenter
shop and laundry, and a depar<nent for
women together with a new stone wall
enclosing the premises, ranging from
is to "a feet in height and four feet
across the top.
Since 1913 power house has been
built outside the walls and large the
ater, seating 800. was built inside the
walls. He said all these had been con
.structed with prison labor and under his
own supervision.
Shows Saving in Labor
Taking up the matter of work done
for the state highway department the
defense introduced letter written to
Conley by John n. Edy, chief engineer
OF the commission, on June .. 1921
which told of the cost of the construc
ton of highway project No. 92, the
NimrOd job. as of date April l, 1921
This showed the total expenditures upon
this project. built by convict labor un
der the supervision of Conley. at 500,
1901, and stated the estimated value
of the work accomplished to have been
S124, ,4l6.36. The witness said that the
difference between these totals, $6S,
231.33, was the saving to the state as
the result of the work done by the
convicts.
Mr.. Conley said that despite the big
savings to the state there had been
received numerous protests from labor
unions ms to the employing of prison
labor. He said such a protest was filed
with the prison board and a hearing
was conducted July 6, 1910, ut which
Governor Norris said he had been beg
ged by convicts to give them work or
they would go crazy.
Mr.. Conley said. however, that this
was common occurrence end that
every day, at the court conducted by
him to hear complaints and requests
from conyicts. he was begged to furnish
work for prisoners to keep them from
going crazy.
Says Three Went Crazy
And several of them did 60 crazy,
he added. Three, | think"
Conley told Of having butchered a
large amount of beef at tha State rancn
from time to time for the supplying of
meat for the prison as well as for the
insane asylum and the tuberculosis sari-
tarium. He said he sent men out TO buy
beef cattle and they were brought to the
State ranch, where they were fed from
two weeks to month before being
slaughtered. They were fed hay off the
State ranch, he said
The witness said he sold $4,000
worth of beef to the insane asylum and
the sanitarium. He also got sheep three
Or four times. from 200 to 300 at
time, which were slaughtered for use in
The beef cattle amounted to $4,000, he
he Def cattle amounted to $1,000, he
said, all Of which went to the state.
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