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Show 1912 *66 Frederick H, Pierce, chairman of the board of penitentiary commissioner at the time of this invest s igation, says: ‘‘After Mr. Hagerman became governor, he wished to have some made in the methods of managing changes prison ers, of which Mr. Bursum did not apProve; and differences arose between them growin g Then the govconsulting the board of commissioner out of this. s, who, under the law, were responsible for the administration of the penitentiary, brought an accountant from Colorado to examine the accoun ts and make a report to him. No comPlaint had been made by the governor to the board of anything wrong in the accounts or the management; nor did €rnor, without board for any assistance or explanation. the Colorado He made accountant call upon the a report to the governor, claiming that there was a shortage in the accoun ts, and that the territory for money received and not paid over. Thinki Mr. Bursum owed ng there might be Vome error or oversight in his books, Mr. Bursum immedi ately deposited in the territorial] treasu ry the first amounts claimed, until the matter could be looked Then further amounts were claimed, amounting to several thousand dollars. Governor Hagerman demanded that Mr. Bursum should immediately pay over. Mr. Bursum insisted that the report was not correct; that his accounts were not Short, and asked for time to have them examined by some other exPert, in order that he might Ae This was refused, and the governor Paid into the treasury at once, answer the charges and show the real facts, notified him that if the amount he would cause suit claimed This was not to be brought for it against 'S bondsmen. ‘Mr. Bursum was at the time chairman of the republ ican central mittee in the midst of a campaign. Realiz ing the injury to his party that Would be caused by the bringing of such a suit, however unfounded, which could cu Possibly be decided before the election, Mr. Bursum, while insisting that he not owe the territory anything, paid over the amount that was claimed by seneral, amounting, with that already paid, to upward of four end dollars. He paid this under protest that he did not owe it. He was “n Temoved from office by Governor Hagerman. ~4eT@ was no way under the law at that time by which the territory could t ® attorney al a Nol RR heh PEO De | ee ee D038 having converted to his own use large sums belonging to the penitentiary earnings fund. This shortage was strenuously denied by Mr. Bursum, who, under protest, paid over large sums of money to the territory, and afterward, by means of an act of the legislature permitting suits to be brought against the territory in certain cases, secured a judgment acquitting him of the charges made. The fact still remained, however, that the financ ial conduct of the affairs of the penitentiary had not been of a character which appealed with any force to the business men of the territory, and although the judgment was in Mr. Bursum’s favor, there were a great many who did not hesitate to condemn his manag ement and held him to blame on that account. This belief became very apparent at the election of 1911, when Mr. Bursum was defeat ed for the governorship, beIng compelled to make a defensive campaign, owing to the charges which were made against his manag ement of the penitentiary. This belief, whether warranted by the facts or not, was the principal factor in accomplishing his defeat at the polls, 466 1 TO rer PRIAlt eek 1880 |
