Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 27, 1893, Page 1

E OMAHA DAILY BEE. TWENTY- SCOND YEAR. SHALL CORRUPT OFFICIALS BE INPEACHED What Say’ You, Citizens of Nebraska, Are the Officers Who | Helped to Perpetrate Monstrous Frauds, Guilty or Not Guiity? Speak Out Now Through the Legislature, or Forever Cell Committee Which it House The paramount question now before the fegislature and the people of Nebraska is Can Attorney General Hastings, Secretary of State Allen and Commissioner Humphry be impeached for malfeasance in office? Does the report of the house committee on penitentiary cell house investigation sub- mitted to the house March 10, and che evi- dence adduced before that committee noy on file in the house of representatives war- rant the impeachment of the members of the State Board of Public Lands and Buildings under the constitution and the la For the purpose of determining these mo- mentous the advisory committee composed Doane, Judge Pound and W. L. ¢ decision of the ¢ be based upon the ¢ and the testimor questions hous of Judge mission mus? savily port of the committes taken before it When this report was made and the testi- mony was submitted to the ne Bee published a synopsis of the testimony and the report in full. Now that proceedings looking to impeachment have been begun the public will naturally desive to familiar- ize i*sclf with the story of the cell house frauds as drawn out before the investigat- ing committee. For this reason we repro- duce the committee report and that portion of the testimony which furnished the basis for the conclusions reached by the tee To tae Hoxorante Hovse o Rern TIVES OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKA: Your com- mittee appointed to investigate the state penitentiary submits the following repor The last legislature made an appropriation of £0,000 for building a new cell house by diy's we ‘The ovidence taken has been almost entively in reference to the expendi- ture of this moncy. This cell house abuts on the main building and is about 218 fe by forty-four feet wide: its west wall is the east wall of the main building; its north and cast walls the north and east walls that sur- round the penitentiary grounds, and its south wall a now one entirely. This work, under the laws of the stute, was under the' divec tion and supervision of the Board of Public Lands and Buildings, consisting of the land commissioner, secrctary of state, treasurer and attorney seneral. On or about the 1st day of May, 1801, the board appointed W. H. Dorgan its superintendent with full power to employ all labor and purchase all material and to oversee generally the orection of this cell house at a salary of €0 wonth. At this tiwe and up to Febru ary 1, 1802, one C. W. Mosher was the prison contractor, and Dorgan was his manager, and had full charge of all his interest at the peniteatiary. including subletting of conviets to third parties. On the ith day of May, 181, Dorgan entered into u bond in” the sun of £10,000 for the faithful performance of his duties as the representative of the board. avict I ne house commit- NTA- Dorgan’s Rake-0 on bor, The method adopted in expending and ac- counting for the money was this: The board would allow an estimate in favor of Dorgan prior to any outlay on his part for a certain sum, as £5,000, and Dorgan would make re- ports to the board of his expenditures. In conformity to this plan Dorgan drew $32,100 of this money and made five reports, which are now on file in the oftice of the secreta of state. The amounts charged for labor . and stone constitute by fur the largest items and couviet labor had " the prefecence ove free labor. Of §11.600.17 charged to labor by Dorgan, $,064.50 was for convic and only $,634.67 for free labor. 'This conviet labov is chavged at the rate of §1 per day, while the average price paia by others who sub- contracted for convicts is only at the rate of 40 ceats per day. But Dorgan as the representative of the Board of Public Lands and Buildings, contracted with Dor- gan, as the representative of Moshor, the prison contractor, with the ahove results. Again, there were days when tho conviets could not work on account of the weather or lack of materiul, yeua charge is made the ume as Af they had. The most glaving an- stance of this ind s from January 21 to January 81, 1802, Nice Little Denl on Stone. Dorgan purchased all stone for the con- struction of the b nz of 8. . Atwood & Co. of Plattsmouth, The stone was shipped from Cedar Creek, where Atwood's quarries were located, and from Nemana county, this state, a part coming from Johnson, from the arry of one John W. Zook and the balance m Auburn from the quarry of Van Court ¢ Rood. Dorvgan paid the freight in all in- stances On all stone from his own Guarry Atwood's price was by the hundved pounds viz: Rubbl nd 8 cents, dimension 10 conts and coping 16 cents, and was sold by actual weight. This stone weighed about 165 pounds to the cubic foot. The evidence shows that the same kind of stone was worth about one-half of the above figures, or less. On the stone from Nemaha county Atwood paid for the dimension stone 4 cents per 100 pounds und turned it in to Dor gan at 16 cents per foot. estimating only 100 pounds to the cubic foot, whercas the stone weighed about 150 pounds to the cubie foot In other words, for a car of stone weighing 40,000 pounds Atweod paid #15 and charged Dorgan $4. For the dimension stone plugged to size, Atwood paid 10 cents a foot and charged Dovgan 85 cents a foot ; or for a ear containing 200 feet of this stone Atwood would pay §20 and charge Dorgan 0, thus clearing &0 per car without n any way handling it What hase been said of the true of the sand also. Atwood tract for it at the vate of &1 per Pit. while it v.as worth not a yard It 18 in evidence that prior to Dorgan's en tering into any agreement with Atwood & Co. tobuy stoneand sand of them that other parties had offered to furn » sume to him at reasonable prices, viz emaha county stoue at the figures at which Atwood & Co. purchased the same, us above given, aud for the saud and Cedar Creck stone at figures ranging from one-third to one-half of the amoun's charged by Atwood & Co. Dor gan denies that he ever consulted any one except 8. H. Atwood prior to his agrecment with that firm, He states that he was not a practical stone man, and did not know what t was worth, but relied on_Atwoor & Co. mitke him faiv and reasonable rates Other Little £t Co From February 1, 1802 prison contractor, Moshey the contract to him on that hus never entered intoa bond us such tractor. From that time to March 15, he, a8 a representative of the Board ¢ li: Lands and Buildings, contracted himself us prison coutractor for all conviet labor employed during that period, and as prison contractor kept the time of the con vicis. On March 15, 18#2, Dan Hopkins was appointed superintendent'in place of Dovgan his compe iou being at the rate of §5 per day. He secus 10 have followed the general policy of Dorgan. He continued to purchase Btone and sand of 5. H. Atwood & Co. at the stone holds had the con yard at the exceea 40 cents T, Dorgan was the aving assigne tate, but Dorgan t long | Press to Hold Your appointed an | Your Representatives in the of on Peace--Report the and the Evidence is 1 same exorbitant prices. He did adopt a sys tem of keeping the time of the convic that no charges for such labor were made. faras the committee is aware, when they were dle In one of Dorgan's statements thero are two items, one of $00, expense of board, the other, 00 to Dan Hopkins, for whicl, there ave’ no vouchers, ‘The first was used ona trip taken by the secretary of state, attorney general, the land commissioner and the then warden of the penitentiary, Dan Hopkins, to inspect other prisons methods of ventilation, ete. There is tense of a statement as to the actual paid out by these gentlemen, and it is in evidence that they had transportation except fora very short distance, 'The sccond was used on @ trip taken by the then warden | (Hopkins) and the then chuplain (Howe), to 1 I | wall thay a prison congress held in Pittsburg,but there is no itemized account of their expenses, nor it apparent to your committee how this fund could be used for suc L purpose. In the first place the money was paid to the secretary of state, J. C. Allen, and in the second Dan Hopkins, and in each case prior to the trip being ent upon. Loose Business Mothods, Within a came superint w months after Hopkins be wdent, a portion of the south surrounds the prison yard fell in became necessary to vepair it Al- Mr. Hopkins has not filed any re- h the Board of Public Lands and Buildings, he submitted to your committee an itemized statement of his expenditures up to January 1, 183, on the south wall well us on the cell house, There is one item of §1,624.28 for stene, )¢ twenty-one car- loads, all of which. with the exception of one piece of coping, was used in the cell house, that is charged to the soute wall. This, Mr. Hopkins states, was done on the authority of the board to by like amount of Labor (estimated) s actually per. formed in buildinz a stockade around the open space where the wall had fallen in and which had been charged to the cell house. The attention of the house is called to this to indicate the loose manner in which this whole matter has been conducted. Aceord- ing to the books in the secretary of state’s oftice, there is yet on hand the cell house fund $1,700. but something like &1,100 of debts for work and material are yet out- standing, and then when the above ‘item of $1,624.48 is charged where it belonzs it will be seen that the fund is more than exhausted As above indicated, Mr. Hopkins has not filed a single voucher with the board to en- lighten that body or any other how he has disbursed the money intrusted to him. Mr. Dorgun has filed a number, but he fails to return any for §,151.77, which he claims to have spent. Tt is the opinion of the commi worlk ought not to have cost over and it though ports wi ce that this 22,000, aying the Contractor’s Debts, receipt attached to one of Dorgan's ements shows 6,500 fire brick, costing £208, and six barrels of five clay, costing $24, This material was used in sotting some boilers that belonged to the state. Tness boilers, with others, are used to generate steam to heat the penitentiavy buildings (in- cluding the new cell house when complete) and to furnish power to run the machincry Your committee is of the opinion that under the contract with Mosher, the prison con- tractor should bear all such expenses him- self. In this case the © not only furnished the boilers and material but the labor also and all is charged to ihe cell hous fund. Bill Dorgan's Houesty. Your committee, after heari the testi- mony of ex-Treasurer Hill, Commissioner Bumphrey, Secrelary Allen and Attorney General Hastings, 18 cowmpelled to believe and report to to this house that the interests of the state were not wuarded by even ordinary care. In: 1 of throwing every safeguard which honesty and business methods would suggest around the propriation and its expenditure, the way left open for extrav- agance and corruption, which expanded and grew moce rapidly than did the walls of the 1l house. To begin with, Mr. W, H. Dor- ho was chosen superintendent of con- n, did not sustai ‘tor for honesty whic perqL such a position: but had that been true, he was disqualified because of the fact that he was agent or foreman for €', W, Mosher, whose interests constantly came in conflict with those of the state. Under such cir cumstances, we are unable to e by what process of reason . could expect an honest disbursercnt of the money, ‘The prices paid for material indi cate his total unfitness for the trust re in him, or his utter la; of business rity or honesty, and in a somewhat milder form, the sambe is true of the present super. intendent bo: Total Lack of Care. Members of the board had a very imper fect knowledge of the matter, some of them timating, when questioned by the commit e, that they were too busy with other du ties to give attention to this. It appears from the evidence that the board as such and the individual members as well, utterly failed to exercise any supervising cire oy the building or restraint over the superin dent, establishing o condition of affairs thut made waste and lusion in table; and while members of the board spent $500 or §600, drawn on Dorgan’s cheek agaiust the cell house fund, on a trip to other stat made ostensibty for the pirpose of enabling them to improve on our prison mansgement the conviets have not had the advantage of the most ordinary ruies in regard to san arrangements evidenced by the cells. ittee that It is the opinion of 1 stice would compel ex-tiovernor Boyd and ex-Warden Mallon, ex-Goveruor Thayor and ex-Wurden Hoplins to share the blama with the board for this condition of affairs ut the prison. We are thoroughly convinced by the cireumstances which have been broaght to our attention duving this investigation that the public service is being demoralized and the public interests jeopardized by ueglect aud carelessness which merit tre severest censure, and it is recommended that the authoritics take immediate action to re cover the amount corruptly diverted from its proper channel TESTIMONY IN THE CASE, Some Light Let In on the Very Pecul Methods Employed. The formal report of the con house sets forth in a f form some of the covered by the investi exhibits from the thereto attached, that interesting features in co fraud, steal and jobbory appropriation ana the cell b he “reports” filed by Superintendent Dorgan with the board are five in number, but there are no vouchers for anything but nittee to the nsed un the rt - con thinzs whi but it Atio is the e found the & mection with d with th the new associat build use ofticial | I I | computed READ THE CELL HOUSE TESTIMONY | | Buildings for four y the freight. from the fund by the consent of the there are no vouchers for 151,77 the #5331 eceived by Hopkias from Dor gan, no vouchers have cver been filed, The evidence shows that before expending the money for material, Dorgan received bids for the furnishing of stone and sand, but notwithstanding this fact. he bought the material of an outsider, paying in nearly all cases two or three times as much, and in some cases four times as much as would have been the case had the material been furnished by the b or by others at the rices bid by them. A liberal estimate for the by capable board and_for stone used is \thorities at 20.02, while the state was compelled sugh the extravagance of the superin nivance of the board w ercharge on that Sand was a lesser ilar there was an the report of the item of nearly &, item. but in that" partic ercharge, us stown by t, of £250.49. Labor cost the state § a private contractor been leasing the same help from the same source it would have cost but #4,918.00, Herc isu steal on the three items of nearly £14,000 on a $40,000 ap- propriation It is furtt priation was much have completed the while had v demonstrated that the appro yre than sufiicient to building, but, as it is. the appropriation is more than exhausted, the building has been barely inclosed, and there are dobts as yet unsatisfied for work that has already been performed. The evi- dence shows that several other matters were allowed to figure as a part of the cell hou deal, at the expense of the state, althoug they had no connection with it. Herewith is reproduced some of the evi- dence submitted before the committee Ex-Treasurer Hill's Testimony. J. B. Hill testificd that he had been a member of the Board of Public Lands and ars: that the board had had charge of thé penitentiary under the w passed by the legislature twvo years ago and that it superintended the expenditures of that mstitution. He related in detail the several improvements that had been made at the penitentiary under the supervision of the board, stating that the work had gen erally been put in the hands of some « tent person. The work on the new wing authorized by vhe legislature two years ago was done by the day under the direction of William Dorgan. The board held that the provisions of the law precluded the necessity of advertising for bids or for a superintend ent. When the board took up the n.atter of building the cell house Mr. Dovgan was em ployed as superintendent at a salary of 0 per month. Mr. Hill stated that he was hou- est personally as far as the employment of Dorgan was concerned, and that he believed that Dorgan was a straight man and would make the money go as far as possible. He could not tell whether any plans or specifica- tions had ever been adopted by the board or not, but he saw what purported to be the plans for the new wing while visiting the penitentiary some time after the work on the building had been commenced. He had always believed that plans Q- tions of some sort had been filed with the commissioner of public lands und buildings, Trusted to Dorgan's Integrity. the employment of Dorgan as erintendent of coustruction, Mr. Hill s asked if the fact that Dorgan S acts Mosher’ gent at the.same time had not been considered by the board. He re. plied that the matter had been discussed afterward, but no steps were taken to rec- vif) ke that had been made in the select He thought at the time that &0 4 month was a pretty small salary for the rvices required, but that _he had at the time every confidence in Dorgan's business integrity. The matter of employing con- vies on the work as well as the purchase of material had been left almost entirely to Dorgan. who from time to time would make reports to the board, accompunied by vouchers and receipts. e board examined these reports from time to time. The board examined the bills and vouchers formaterial, but never made any inquiries as to whether the material had been actually furnished or not. He admitted that there had been many items reporied by Dorgan which had not been accompanied by vouchers. These items were placed on file to be considered in the final settlement, and a few weeks before the board's term of oftice expired Dorgan w. ordered to present the receipts, but witness did not know whether the r pts had been furnished or not., Mr. Hill was then examined as to the as- signment of the contract from Mosher to dorgan. He smd that the assignment had been made in February, 1802, and that the board at once discharzed Dorgan as superin- tendent and employed Dan Hopkins, e warden of the penitentiary, ata salary of $150 per month. He thought the board took steps to require Dorgan to put up a bond under the assignment of the contract, but he could not say whether that individual had ever done so or not. e could not remember the names of Mosher's bondsmen. Took u Pleasant Trip, Attorney General Hastings was examined as to the particulars of the junket made by several members of the board a year ag t the state’s expense, the ostensible object being to examine the management of other state penal institutions. He testified that the party consisted of himself, Secretary Allen, Commissioner Humphrey and Warden Hopkins. Dorgan handed them £500 the day they started, and this amount was used for the expenses of the trip. They visited Leavenworth, Kan., Jefferson City, Mo., St. Louis, Chester, 11, Chicago and one or two of them went to Michigan City, Ind. ‘They had transportation as faras St. Louls and some members of the party had passes from that city to Chicago. The others paid their fare, They were gone about two wecks. They made some investigation of the matter of ventilating Il bouses, ete., and made some sort of a report to Dorgan when they returned, but the witness didn't know whether the ideas we adopted in the br 4 ell house or not. He hadn made an jized statement of his expenses on the trip, but was positive that he had spent all the moasy that had baan given t him General Hastings was then questioned closely as to his knc viedge of the munncr in which Dorgan had been permitted to draw money on the cell house fund from time to time, but his ideas were not ve th subject, He felt sure, however. that Do gan was never allowed any money until aft . he 7ot the bills for the work, He ad:sted that saveral thovsand doliars of the fund might have been checked out for which no receipts had been prosented, but he claimed that he had no knowledge of the fact. He asserted that the board was in the habit of going over the claims very carefully, but that he never gave the mattér much atten tion himself. Where Information May Be Had. I think if you go to M. Allen or Humphrey,” said the attorney g “either one of them can give you very definite tnformation as Mr. Allen is secrétary and Mr. Humphrey is president, and my office is attached to it simply as a matterof orna ment, 1 suppose. | was attending to making briefs in the supreme court and attending to the affuirs of my oftice as attorney general He admitted that he probably did not give eritical attention to the matter of expend ituves, claiming that his duties as attorney general made it absolutely impossible for him to stay in the other offices and check over accouats. As an attornsy he that o bond for £10,000 was reasons ficient for a man who had to expend of the state's money Coming to the matter of the assignmentofs Mosher's contract to Dorgan, the attoruey general stated that the board heard of the assignment us a ramor and dit not consider it its duty to take any action in vezurd to it He rather held to the view that the orizinal bond given by Mosher to the state had not been released. When shown the orieinal band attorney general admitted thit b t scen it before. William's Word, Allen took the witness stand and told the committee what he Kuew about the trip taken by several members of the board to the penitentiaries of several castern states. His statements did not vary much from the ones made by the attorr general. The party took §X00 aud 10,000 1y Took Secretary of State [CONTINUED ON SECOND raG OMAHA, MONDAY MORN Out of 32,100 drawn by him ’[ FRENZY FLYING | State House Gang Furious Over The Bee's Courageons Stand for Honesty, WILD ASSERTIONS OF THE STRICKEN ONES | All Sorts of Denials and Oounter-Oharges Made by the Discoverad Boodlers, REFUTATIONS THAT DO NOT REFUTE Lame Attempts to Throw OF the Force of The Bee's Exposuras, MR. S. L. WILEY TELLS A PLAIN STORY e Ates In Detail the Manner in Whi He Guve His Information Concern the Governor's Demand for Hastings' Resignation. LixcoLy, Neb, March 26.—[Special to Tue Bee. | —~Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad. A week ago to Secretary of State Allen opened his mouth and put his foot in it by devotinz ne columns in the Ligcoln State Journ the Omaha World“Herald, which are con stantly defending the cell house robbers and state house boodlers, to show that Rosewater | had changed front with regard to the re- spousibility of the Board of Public Lands and Buildings for the depredations upon the state treasury Mr. Rosewater's s=athing rebuke to Allen and his uot leave the trio a foot of ground to stand upon. And uow the fool feiends of Attorney Gen- eral Hastings are trying to get up a sion. On afternoon Chaplain Murfin_ and Al other political swash- bucklers went to Omaha to confer with emi- nent attorneys, presumably at railroad head quarters, with a view to having Rosowater arrested for criminal libal, It is whispered among the gang tonight that this action is to be taken tomorrow, so ds to draw the fire from the impeachables, aae, muzze T Ber for the remainder of the session The alleged libel for which Mr. Rosewater is to be arrested is tho publication of thedis puted interview between Governor O and Attorney General Hastings. Inasmuch as every jacke-leg lawyer kuows enouzh to know that the reported utterance of the gov- ernor does not constitute a criminal libel, the proposed procoeding ean only have one object, und that is to croabe an improssion upon the lezislature that. Rosewater is an unprincipled calumniator and slan derer, and that, | the attorney genersl and his associutes are innocent victims of his splesn. This has been the song of the gang day inand day out ever since the investization into their dishonest methods was begun by the legislature. Wall of the Organ Grinders, First, Rosewater was charged with organ- izing a star chamber committes to smirch and convict honest officials without a hear- ing. Then Keckley was charged with re- ceiving s instructions from Rosewater as to the lawyers and stenographers to be em ployed by the committee. Finally the organs of the cell house crooks charged water with writing the report, and groomed Sheridan for his dra- matic arraignment of the committee which wound up with. the charge thav Rose- water had mot only inspired, but had actually written ths report. Although this statement was publicly denounced as false nd baseless by Keckley, Horst, Davies and Scott, the vingsters and their organs still kept on harping about Rosewater engineer- ing the whole investigation. Now they are ringing the chang the Crounse-Hastings controversy, and this morning's State Journal declares in bold, black type: *The Governor Completely: Uninasks' the Boss Fakir of Nebraska. Rpsewater Caught Bearing False Witness: Does He Ever Tell the Truth? He Goes Too Far in His Fight on the State Ofilcers, and is Exposed as a Linr and a Sneale.” Under these head lines the penitentiary organ devotes a whole column to what it calls an exposure of a most dastardly at tempt at misrepresentation, and then follows this letter of denial and explanation from the governor: rly two al and diver- | seve onnse Rose 1893, Hon In, Neb.: Doar Our note respe ing the appeirs in- 1his morning' the head of “Crounse i Action. article was a surprise to me as it no doulit was to you. THE DEE has certainly been linposed upon, for as you Know you we: not in my office yesterday.” As 1 besi reniom- bov you Tiave not bean i iy ofiiee for several diy<, wnd at 0o time or place hasan interview asis reported i Tis BEE taken plac spectiully, L. CROUNSE. ow this letter, which must have been from Omaha, whera the governor ains, notwithstanding the Linec line, the governor is repres: having visited Tue Bre office Satur morning, and calling upon the managinz cditor, “to whom he gave his denial posi tively and unqualifiedly,” but that notwith stunling this Tne Bep came out with “a weak demal in its evening edition,” ete. It Was the Govarnor's Langunge, When the attention of Mr. J. B, Hayues the managing editor, was called to this charge this afternoon, he audibly ‘through the 'phone, and ‘I took down in shorthaud every wor governor wanted us to say, and it wus so publishel. If there is auy wWeakness in the denial I am not responsible for it.” Anybody who will vead betw of the wvernor's lotter of planation must sce that, i% and is more notable for, what for what it says. . After chavging Rosowater with having in vented the whole story-and denouncin unqualifiedly false, the yeracious and vora cious State Journal says: *“The governor had not scen the attorney genoral all the day wentioned in the remort, and the | only time he had seen Me, Wiley, the gentie man on whose suthority the ‘story is sup. posed to have been based. was upon the Monday before the comversation is alleged to have taken place.” This lots the cat out of the bag. The Journal admits that Rose water did not fabricaté this story, and the only discrepancy about the report is thut the | conversation overheard by the gentlenian who zave the information oceurred last Mon day and noton Thursday, as reported. That fact is immaterial, Mr. Wiley Did Hear It. Mr. Wiley himself, whom the Tue Bee interviewed been denied away and Hustings, fiem!y aaher as to the day. Ha e fact that ii was on the licans caucussad over sapporting impeact was last Monday being in order, B ay 1 the lines denial and ex is not positive it omits than | it us reporter of after the report had plained away by Mr. 110 hiision lod at lay when t tho adv went resolutions, which | xplanations and deniuls | 1y not be oat of place to expliin undoc whip cireunatances the ro pors of the Crounse-Hastings futerviow communicited to Mr, lisewator Mr. Wiley in speaking of the matter says +Mr. Rosewater and myse!f had been talk ing over the gloomy ouuook for the repub lican party on_account of the Mosher co lapse, the cell houss seandal, and frauls in the various state institutions. Mr. Ros» tio) vas MARCH | admitted by the gov | that water expressed the opinion that the party was absolutely wrecked uuless its represcn 27, 1893. tatives in the legislature helped to purge the | party from corraption and_throw overboard | the officers who had been implicated in the | frauds atthe penitentiary and criminally | negligent in their ways of doing business Mr. Rosewater then expressed himself as sorely disappointed over the governor's seoming indiTercnce and inactivity in what he thought to be che greatest erisis the party had ever expericnced in this state ernor Crounse,’ said Mr., Rosewat natural leader of the party. He was nomi nated because the party wanted to ta candidate for g whose intearity was unimpeachable, and whom the people be. lieved to be courageous enoagh to stamp out corruptio wherever it might be foun This is the opportunity of his life to save the part, ivom dissolution and render a great service to the state. I propose to call upon him through Tie Bee to rally all_honest republicans in the legislature and impress upon them the gravity of the situation and the imperative necessity of demanding the resignations or voting impeachient of the three state offi rs who hold over from the old State Board of Public Lands and Buildings 0 Mr. Wiley Told 1t in answer to this that T told Mr he would have nooceasion to write the proposed editorial, and then substance related to him what I had over: vd on the preceding Monday m the execu tients. Rosewater expressed hiwself as hizhly gratified that the governor had finally nerved himself to the emersency The governor's memory and mine do not wgree perfectly, and T very much that the matter has gotten into | ‘(o ‘is the | “It was Rosewater far as the conversation between the governor and the attorney general is con cerned, there is no controversy as to the timo tha ecurred. both the governor and Mr. Wiley agrecing that it was upon lust Monday, while the attorney general will hardly deny it, as his assertion of yesterdiy, 10 the effect that he had not been in the gov ernor's ofice for a week, was couched in gen cral terms, and was made to convey the in formation that he had not been there for four or five days. Maken Fine Distinetion. ‘The only particular in which there is any difference is regarding the manner in which the resignation of the attorney eneral was talked of by the governor. A fine distine tion is made as to whether the governor de manded 1t, or suggested it, or asked for it “That 1t was the subject of conversation is 1or, and that it so ex the attorney general not been in _the governor’s office since ho left there last Mon day aftern towering passion is a fact ou'which ull familiar with the circumstances ced. Ttwill be noticed that the de nials ave chiefly remarkable for the clever manner in which they are wor nd the things that they do not deny. After sifting the matter to the bottom, and pinning those who are disposed to squirm down to bed- rock, it will be seon that the story is fully corvoborated in all its essential particulars. HE RASCALS O cited the "ire of he has TURN T, Opintons of Repub cans on Impeachment Proceedings in the Legislature. In order to ascertain the puolic sentiment in Omaha rvegarding the impeachment pro ceedings under consideration by the legisla wure, reporters for Tue Bre have inter- viewed leading republicans of the city and secured the following expressions of opinion John B. Furay—If T understand the condi- tions and they seem to be as they have been published—the accused having offered no denial of the charges —then the men who have been in office and those who are still in should be kicked out either for want of in- tegrity, or on account of imbecility or in- competency. Take ecither reason and kick them out, The republican party should do and I_nave been a vepublican all my life? rank Kaspur—I don't sce that there is anything eise to do but_impeach the men cused of such misconduct in office. Such work has been countenanced too long D. Balcombe published is found corr appointed to invest the impeachment pushed at once and out, P. L. Perine—The republican not afford to do anything el impeachment proceedir Its_salvation in this state depends upon breaking up the unholy combine that has been in power so long at Lincoln, Kd Haney—Anything to get the boodie vinz out of the control of state affairs A, W. Cluric—There is upparently no hope for veform and honest administration in state institutions unless some action of the kind proposed is taken. Joseph H. Blair—If the evidence published is found to be true the guilty ofticers should certainly be impeached E. P. Davis—There are too down there who seem to be the mess is stirred it will stink, The state officers implicated should be impeached and if the legislature fails to take the necessary action the guilty oficials should be prose- cuted by the citizons in the courts W. H. Hall—The men who have such outrageous steals should be from office at_once, and if any of the or misappropriated funds action loo’ing to such reliet prompily. W. 5. Peebles of Pender—While the state officials may not have been guilty of col- Lusion with the contractors it is evident that they were criminally careless in awardin pablic contracts and expending public funds, and that is grounds sufficient Jor impeach ment W. D. MeHugh—1 have no knowledge of » matter except that which 1 have gleaned 1 the statements published in the papers 1 think that if the facts allezed are true the guilty men should certainly be impeached and fthe state protected as farus possible from the effects of their delinguency i M. O. Maul —If the facts which have been | given publicity through the press concerning the conduct of some of the state oficials are well founded impeachment is certainly ! only proper cour No guilty man should escape. The faets, whether tiue ov not to be regretted, as they have a tendency t give the state black eye in the castanl with the capitalists who have money to in vest in Nebrasia, Dr. R. M. Stone—The republican owes it to itself to thoroughly the charges made against the leaders if the c¢harges are prove worihy credence, to join most orousiy with #ood citizens to impeach, | belicve the dence avarrants the conclusion that these men ha bed the state and think they ought to be impeached. The party eannot fford to bolster thom up; its skirts should be cleared of the diszrace Gustave Anderson—In this matter party should cut uo fi and a thorough and care- | ful investization of all ot the fa 1d be | instituted. ‘The only way to weed out the | offendoers is by a thorouzh purging, From all of the reports I am of the opinion that | the islature should go to the bottom | of this whole matter and shield- no person. | Then if th wuilty they can be pun ished, while if are innocent they b2 able to forever hush the scandal that has | been brought upon the fair name of the £l D, Such an investizati would strenzthien the republican party of the state, while a smothering of the facts would work political run and disster. John Steel —Ther ht to be If these men b wronz port of the * indicat have, they should be shown up branled. " Tam a republican no fgurs with m>, [ want adiministration of the aai 1 want to see boodl and ished to th cot of the la inv tion is throttlod nine-tenths pooble will arcive at th state oMicors were g Afraid te m Bloom 82 men e Br g If the evidence as 't by the attorneys ate the matter, then procecdings should be | the entire gang cleancd varty ean- e than push the many men afrvaid that if allowed rmoved stolen an be recove should be taken party investizate wnd of all evi Vi ts sh full « th ) | vl | Simeon sly n indicat frauds of the wost sfaced ki \ve been perpetrated. While the state officials may uot have taken a hand, they have stod ngs i | thing « | that the public silently by watching the schemes without ever raising a hand to save the state from being deliberately robbed, They have cer: tainly allowed the treasury to be plundered, which fact indicates that” they might have been interested to some extent. Thoy have allowed this to continue for a long period of time, much against the interests of the peo pie and the state at large. James Allen—(f they o do they fear to go to trial This indicat there is, or hus been As u republican 1 say that we cannot afford verlook this matter at this time. There is too much at st and the impeachment proceedings must bo pushed to the end hether the men are guilty or innocent Ben S, Baker—If the state off innocent they can well atford te impeachment trial that they may pletely vindicated. 1 the pr throttled the opinion will u that they were guilty of the 1HE have been m i not a quest party, but a_question of richt 1o people and the When dis matter only speak with an ¢ ifon formed after readingg the roport of the committee The republican party of the state and the state itself is bigger than any man or set of men who ave ever filled the offic and for th m [ say that these men should submit to an investization of every seted with the charges. Party to enter inwo the investigation, as should b first and innocent, why nd take the con s to my mind that thing very rotten ings v provail h the it te ssing tl ought not the motto party next o Kleffuer—- By rachmient charges may people all means bring the 1st these men whother or not If they are in know 18 been robbod nocent_they cannot be huet by any' of tt dings, 1 they are guity they must punished that the fair fame of Nebraska may be sustained W. J. Clair—I have watehed the proceed ings of the legislature and have come to the opiion that those state oficers should be impeached, as everything points to the fact that there is something wronz. If they are innocent they ought te court a thorough in vestization Jo kins to suy that those as though ther the most crooked w they cortainly e impeached and it they are not gailty they can have no fears of the results of a trial 1. W. Simeral —It it should be rooted ¢ be made to suffer. the state Of course T am not prepared men are guilty. but it looks had been a vast amount of If they are guilty iere is any rottenncss t and guilty men should thoy ure innocent the impeachment procecdings should go on for the good of the state, if for no other reason hould they be guilly they shouid be do posed from oifice. D. H. Wheelor —If the fac by the committee, Lain positiv peachment proce say that any of the men they are not they clear up their Johu Girant—I'he report of the _committee indicates suilt, and upon this basis we mu figrare Those stute o 1t to be will ing to go before the people and show their hands. Then, if they are innocent, they will be 1 better shape than ever before, bat if they are guiley, they must be driven out of the party. 1. M. Wappich—Yes sir, and if they ure as zuilty as dicate, put th they helong. be stopped, Sol Prince—If, after a thorouzh investiz tion, it is ascortiined that the charzes arve true, the members of the board should be impcached. They should be put on triadand if they are not guilty they can prove their innocence. Councilman Munro—it is the proper thing for the republicans to do to go ahead and sift this thing to the bottom. It is essentinl to the party and to the state. If the mem vs of the legislature do not do it the par I be held responsible for i It is the duty of every republican member to the sty and to the state to go ahead and )secute vigorously without rogard to indi- uals. It is either the building up or wiping out of the party, for if they succeed in covering it up, & man would be & fool to take a place on the republican ticket next fall. “In justice to the ofcials themselves, the proceedings should be pushed, as the members of the Board of Public Lands _and Buildings now stand guilty in the eves of the people of the stite, and will so remain until proven otherwiseat a trial at which every- thing will be uncovered. aalore WILL MAKE [ If ts areas reported that the ir ou. I don't guilty. but if trial and are should stand 15 th fmpeach thoem, apperances in- m into the penitentisry where Plunder of public funds should T C4S 2. Suit Begun at Burlington, la,, of Importance 1o Al Cities of that N CepaR Rarios, T, Mareh 26 Tue Ber.]—A of farreaching Import- ance, and one of interest to taxpayers in every city in the state. has been commenced in the district court at Burlington. The case is brought by a ¢ e of citizens of that city to enjoin the sed grading of a street, and it will be made a test case of the validity of all city ordinances and the legal ity of all council resoiutions authorizing the anticipation of tax levies for grading purpose I of collection of special grading assessments thereander from property owners. The plaint Lhis ea L auditor from borrowing a iy under the ordinance providing for antivipation of the tax levy for grading purposes, to enjoin the S from paying any warrants drawn 'y the auditor in_ payment for the improvement and to enjoin the contractors from proceeding with the wi hey take the ground thav the law permitting the city authorities to proceed in this manner is unconstitutional, ~[Special to Rallroad Imrov oment: at Cedar Cepar RAvIDS, Ta., March 25, —[Special Tur Bee |—The Chicigo & North Railway compiny will put from the main line botween Mechanics and Lisbon this sammer to s the stone quarries alons the b of viver, near the mouth of Coon purpose being to use the stone for ballust. A number of farmers along the line of the pro posed spar have sold out at gool fizures and have the privilog v on their farms during the coming Raplds, to stern in a spur tra itle immens the Cedar cele, the of remaining Dissatisiod with the Law, Cepar Raping, Tu, Mirch Tue Bek|—Ther among the people of the smaller towns with the workinzs the A aw, and the nest lezislature will be 1'to either ropeal it or modify it greatly. ‘The law 18 nov understood and'in a num of places the wis of the people have been defeated. No less than a . dozen contests have been begun the result of this, besides a namber of damage 2. —Spasial tc wisfaction o the stralian is much diss stat ballot petiti sulis Wanted, & Mayor, T, March 26, —[Spacial B 't of mayor. At spring clection ain was ele eed Mavor After he ted he found that would Forr Donar gram to T without a Turner Mc: Sheldon the olice Pele town Ames the ted 1o s was el int bis private busiuess and refuse T'he oftice then reveried to 3 who 1¢ fused to porform the ¢ longer Citizens are in a qu exccutive in a | Arrest of a vx Crry gram to Tne Omaha has S1 Brr been arrest b m D Appleton & ( Y f 1 wis o ¢ for:ing inge th g 1he money abli from W Casy Wyo., Maweh B Al ceatral Wyoming have m Lo arranze Owners of 400,000 head of f 1 and_ fifty here, 60,000t Ihe rest will at Rawling, Shearers gram to Tue thic sheep men of hawe sheep are present. Two hun thoasand will be sheared Douglas and 40,000 at Lusk be sheared at private pens and The meeting was & grand success, from all sections are coming here, NUMBER 278, SENTOENT OF THE PEOPLE Exprossions from Business Men and Tax* payers on the Impsachment, DISHONEST OFFICI*LS MUST BE REMOVED Them o Falr ity Suffor o Dolng Plain Plai Trial Thoir W Mon, Lot Wrong- ds from and the Tue Bee thinks the public Nebraska—should important topic of of the the poople ot say on the all- the plunderers It gives this have its pursuing ond instaltment expressions by troasury te the morning the of u largo number of taxpayers and soli1 business men of the state, showing the trend of popular thought on the question, They need no comment Sentiment at Norfolk, Nowrouk, Neb., Murch 2. [Spe to ik BEE. | A number of the most prominent citizens and heaviest taxpayers of Norfolk and Madison county expressed themselves in relation to the proposed impeachment of state officials, All are of the opinion that an_investigation should be had, and are willing to pay the additional expense in- curred by the continuaace in session of the legislature. Colonel S. P. Cotton —~If the reports as we read them ave trae and the officials have been dishonest they certainly should be im- peched. Andas a taxpayer 1 think the legaslature should not adjoarn until o thor- otgh examination has been made, and if the oleers shall have been found derelict in their duty, then impaachment procecdings should be instituted 1L Tracy. (ity Treasurer—There tainly should be an'investigation made if the oficinls are guilty of malfeasance in oftico they certainly should be impeached, and the lerislatu should not adjourn until it is sottled for the interost of both the state and the partics so accused. Judee N. D Jacksom -1t is due to both the taxpayers and accused ofiicers that an fn- vestization should bamade and the legisia- ture should not adjourn until the matter is thorougghly purged Hon. . 1% Bisitey ~The whole outfit should be turnod out and honorable men aps pointed. I this is not done the rvepablican party in this state is gone beyond redemp- tion I'he character of the state oficers should be above roproich. As a_ taxpayer [ think that an investigation would _be money well expended, and that the legislature should not adjourn uatil this matter is at- tended to Dr. D. R. Daniels, County C 1 have read the reports in Nur BEEand other papers, and il the tions are true the state board should be impoached, In any cvent the investigation should be furthered. As it now stands, it certaniy could not in- jure the board to have the investization con- unued. If it is gailty 1t should suffer the penalty. 1€ innocent then it should and would “be exonerated. and the stizma which now hangs over it would be wiped out. ~ Yes, as a taxpayer, I would say let the inves: tigation go on. 1 vill gladly pay my portion of taxes and think in the end it will prove much cheaper, as at the present time the state tax is enormous, and if the steals had not been perpetrated 1t would have been mu h les ¢ Hon. C. A. Mast, firs! cer- und mimissioner— DPresident of the Citizens National Bank—{ am in favor of a fair and impartial _trial, and if found guilty they should suffer the consequences. Hon. A. J. Johnson, Member of the City Council—As a taxpayer I am in favor of making a thoroush investigation and purgs ing all corcuption. letting the burden rest where it belongs Yost—I think the thing should be ed to the bitter end. | think that every citizen who nas read the papers would see it i the same lizht unless he has some personal interest ¥ »aters Favor It. Frevoxt, Nob , Maren 26.—[Special to T Beg. | —The following answers were recoived to the question, **Do you think the Board of Public Lands in Nebraska should be im- peached? J. W. Stevenson—If they cannot clear elves they should be impeached. M. Coad—I think they should be im- W. Hyatt, Editor of the Flail—-If there ave any rascals theve they ought to be im- peached and turned out. J. W. Love—It is what any party should do—impeach them. J. W. Hyatt—1 think there ought to be something done with tham Judge William Marshall— they should be impeached, B. W. Reynolc President and General Manager for the Nebraska Binder Twine Company—Regardless of whether guilty or innocent, the public is entitled to an investi- gation. If found guilty they should be im- peached, Wilson Reynolds—They ought t0 be prose- cuted for the money they have squandered, and if the evidence is sufticient they ought to be impeached, bat it will be remembered that Auron Burr escaped. J. W. Goff—1 would like to see a very thorough investigation of the whole thing. f they are guilty stings Says Investigate. HastiNGgs,Neb , March 26, —[Special to Tus Bee.,—Public seitiment here may be judged from the following W. H. Canning William Kerr r of seeing them punished, C. H. Dietrich—If they are guilty, and especially the attorney general, of as gross neglizence as the reports of the committes ud of T B would inficate, they should impeached. I'he attorney general has more work to do than any man can do and do 1, but in this case the negligence is too Lot no guilty man escape. If they are guilty I am in “ather in the Party. Neb., Mare To the Editor Pue SEE: | want, inmy humble way, to atulate you for your manly and determined stand against all boodlerism, let it com wh Sour it m and to is vight and fair even if it rimental to the republican party. Tama vepublican and my first vote wits cast in 1856 for John C. Fremont for nt which was also the bogiuning of nd old pariy, and Fam not yet ushamed toduy for upholding that party. = But I can't for the life of me see much resemblance in the republican party of today with the grand old party from 1556'up to 1550, It seems to me it has ot to be the party of the capital- 1stand foroffice only. We all know that in all our conventions we resolve, ete,, that we are ovposed to all monopoly, against all trasts and combines, and for a fair railroad rate and also an cconomical administration of both state and nutional affairs, Can any unprejudiced mint say honestly that they have kept theiv promise? I think not, So ¥ say let the good work o on and wherever we find our oficials failinz of their whole duty let republican opinion pour red hot shot in their front and flank and drive them from their positions. and, as in the case at our capitol today, Lot them every one guilty not only be driven from their positions but let them be disfranchised from ever having an, privileges us American citizens again, And, 15 in th of Mosher, the bank swindler, Isay all such men should be sent to the peni- tentinry for lite, not at havd labor, but_in & lonely cell and be deprivel of ever ng wrinz anything from the oute Husmornr to h all VP Apers, + boodle he cowar 1be d ar all hon th conde nat As to that 1y assault on you, rred from exercising legislature now and try of the good p of all jood citizens, U men out country 1 the ne thinz that is of man that nad all such shou any privileges in our forever. This is a ple and for the ban fit | but it is not & country to uphold’ bullies %nd swindlers and boodlers. May the good work %o on until every corrupt oficial shall be rooted out and cust in & pit where there shall be weeping and wailing, Geosar L. KooNg,