than their retail price. Here are pant buttons at $1.25 a gross; they

were not worth to exceed 75 cents. Satteens were never worth over 15 cents per yard; they are charged here 25 cents per yard. I see ticking charged 25 and 35 cents per yard, while the very best quality kept by them, at this time, they retailed at 25 cents; wholesale, 22 cents. Wiggin, 30 cents is charged; retailed at 20 cents per yard. Linsey, 35 cents per yard is charged here; the best then retailed at 30

cents.

Q. Look at this bill, of date September 25, 1873, and state whether, in your opinion, the charges are reasonable? A. I see six dozen buck mitts, at $30.00 per dozen; they were worth at that time $18.10; $20.00 per dozen. I see, also, two bales batts, one hundred pounds, at 35 cents per pound; they kept none at that time that were worth more than 20 cents per pouud.

Q Examine this book of Greenbaum, Schroeder & Co., (Exhibit 133) and particularly the bill entered therein of date September 25, 1873, and then compare it with the bill rendered of that date, and state if there is any variation, and what? A. There is a variation. The items of the book are:

Q Examine all of the bills in this book of Greenbaum, Schroeder & Co., containing bills against Warden Craig (Exhibit 133), and after a careful examination state what, in your opinion, was the overcharge in said bills above regular retail prices. A. In my opinion the charges are on an average full one hundred per cent. more than regular retail prices. I find many items here that are charged for from four to five hundred per cent. more than the regular retail price; some of them are very large items. I find here four great gross agate buttons, at $2.50 per gross; they were never worth over 374 cents per gross.

Testimony of J. W BERRY, taken on the 14th day of June, 1878, at room No. 30, Savery House. Said J. W. Berry, being duly sworn, deposed as follows:

By Representative Israel:

Q. What is your name, age, place of residence, and occupation? A. J W. Berry, age 41; residence, Seymour, Wayne county, Iowa; am a carpenter by trade.

Q Was you at any time confined in the Iowa Penitentiary during the last six years, and if so, when and how long? A. I was sent to the penitentiary on the 11th day of December, 1876, and remained there until April 6, 1878, when I was discharged; I was acting as foreman of carpenter work.

Q. State whether, while there, you manufactured from material owned by the State any articles which you have reason to believe the State did not receive pay for? A. Yes, sir; I made seven wardrobes that were 7 feet high, 4 feet 6 inches wide, and from 18 to 28 inches deep, worth from $12 to $16 each; I marked these goods to S. H. Craig, Farragut, Iowa; I also made six others of the same kind to Craig's order; one for Frank Morse, a guard in the penitentiary, two for Captain Finch, one for Deputy Warden Reynolds, one for Mr. Green, a brother in law of Dr. Craig, and one for Anna Reed; I made two bureaus for Dr. Craig, one for Deputy Reynolds, one for Frank Morse, and one for Elmer Reed.

Q. About how much were these worth each? A. Twenty dollars. While I was making the bureau for Elmer Reed, Craig sent for me to come to the bell house, told me if the bureau was not done to put it in the store-house and cover it up; "clean the shop of all work of that kind, the committee is coming, and it may raise a talk; the committee may send for you to have a talk with them; now, Berry, you know that I have been particularly good to you, and, for God's sake, keep your mouth shut; tell them that any parties you done work for furnished the material;" told me when my time was out he would give me a summer's job of work on his farm, and give me the reputation at Farragut of being a first-class workman.

Q. Did you make any other articles, and if so, state what they were? A. I made two wagon boxes for Elmer Reed, worth $10 each, to Warden Craig's order; made a table and a chest for silverware for Anna Reed worth $8; made a tool chest for Captain Finch, also one for J. R. D. Bonar, worth $10 each. Mrs. Craig sent for me one morning, and inquired how much lumber it would take to make a certain number of trellises for the flowers and vines in her yard on the farm; I told her 500 feet; she said, "Captain Finch told me that you were going to order a bill of lumber for the State, you put that in the bill;" I asked Mrs. Craig if it would be proper to include this in the bill for the State lumber; she said, "Yes, we are entitled to it, for we have been here almost six years, and had to furnish our house nearly all the time; the State has appropriated only $600 for that purpose since we came here." I ordered that lumber and made it into trellises, and seen it loaded to go to the farin; I used 500 feet of lumber in making birdhouses and racks, which were shipped to the farm; I used 1,000 feet of lumber to make boxes in which to ship Craig's goods to his farm; I also used a great deal in making boxes, at different times, to ship bogs, calves, etc., to the farm; also used a considerable amount to make boxes in which to ship brackets, footstools, etc, to friends in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Council Bluffs, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Keokuk, and various other places.

Q. Do you know of any other articles belonging to the State, being shipped to Farragut? A. Yes, sir; I boxed and marked to SH. Craig, Farragut: Two twenty-five pound kegs of lead, one five gallon can flax-seed oil, one five gallon can mineral paint.

Q

Were all the articles manufactured by you in the Penitentiary, made from material belonging to the State? A. Yes, sir; made from material ordered for the State.

Q. Was there any other articles removed to the Warden's house, or

shipped to his farm, belonging to the State? A. One bale of cotton. Q. Do you know of Deputy Warden Reynolds appropriating any of the goods belonging to the State to his own use? A. Yes, sir; by his order I packed a ten bu. box with mnslin, ticking, and striped flannel. He had his wife select them from the goods in the State store house. I and a man by the name of Alexander took the box to Reynold's house at his request, he went with us. I varnished all Reynold's furniture; varnish came from shop 13, and was charged to the State.

Q. Do you know of Reynolds getting table supplies from the provision furnished for the prison? A. Yes, sir. I have seen meat, po tatoes, bread, cabbage, beans, apples, &c., taken from the kitchen and cellar to Reynold's house.

Q. What other parties know of the same transactions? A. Mr. King, of Farmington, a former guard in the kitchen, Mr. Smith, guard in No. 14, Carroll Jones, convict, from Ottumwa.

Q. Do you know of any tools belonging to the State that have been removed and appropriated to the use of other parties, and if so, who are they? A. Yes, sir. Capt. Finch and J. R. D. Bonar and Herbert Craig have taken saws, chisels, augers, squares, planes, and all kinds of carpenter tools, which have not been returned.

Q. Who packed the Warden's goods when he left the prison, or do you know whether any of the State goods were packed with them? A. A man by the name of Anderson, and I, with the assistance of Mrs. Craig, of Keokuk, and another lady, packed the goods. Don't know whether any of the State goods were packed or not. Mrs. Craig remarked that if we put up the State's goods Craig would not be to blame.

Excused.

AFFIDAVITS.

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 18, 1878.

HON. S. L. BESTOW, Chairman of Investigating Committee, Fort Madison, Iowa:

DEAR SIR: I have received from you an official statement of the sestimony of S. H. Craig, late warden of the Penitentiary at Fort Madison, in which he says that Hon. John Russell, then state auditor, on one occasion, and in my presence, told him (Craig) to buy feed for his team, and send up the bills and he would audit them. And again he says, in substance, that I told him that if other wardens had ap propriated remnants of lard and tallow which remained after he had utilized all that could be made available at the penitentiary, I did not see any reason why he should not do the same thing." I write you now, with the purpose and desire to have this letter accompany the report of your investigation, to make an explicit and unqualified de nial of the statement made by Dr. Craig. There is not a word of truth in this statement so far as it affects me, or as it relates to anything that was ever said by Mr. Russell in my presence. I will say further, for Mr. Russell, that I do not believe that there is a man in Iowa, knowing him thoroughly, who would dare make a suggestion to him of the character named by Dr. Craig. I will add to this letter my oath in confirmation of its statements, and will ask you to give it a place in your final report.

Very respectfully yours,

C. C. CARPENTER.

Subscribed and sworn to before me by the above written Cyrus C. Carpenter, this 18th day of April, A. D., 1878.

[L. S.]

In testimony whereof, witness my hand and notarial

seal the day above written.

WM. H. FLEMING,

Notary Public in and for Polk Co., La.

ONSLOW, IOWA, April 25, 1878.

HON. S. L BESTOW, Chairman Investigating Committee, Fort Madison Penitentiary:

DEAR SIR:-Yours of 16th inst. received after considerable delay. Having been addressed to Des Moines, it was finally forwarded to me here.

The copy of the testimony of S. H. Craig given before your committee, which you had the kindness to send me, relative to alleged conversation between him, Gov. Carpenter, and myself, in the fall of 1872, I believe to be without any foundation whatever. So far as Mr. Craig used my name in connection with the auditing of claims for feeding his horses and cows is concerned, I would say he is certainly mistaken when he says I said to him, "send up the bills and I will audit them." I do not believe I ever knew he had cows and horses of his own at the penitentiary, or that he was feeding them at expense of the state. I do not believe the executive council knew anything of such transactions as he alleges, while I was a member of it.

The foregoing is designed as an explicit denial of the alleged conversation referred to in the copy of S. H. Craig's testimony before your committee, so far as it refers to me.

Respectfully submitted,

JOHN RUSSELL.

STATE OF IOWA, 88.

JONES COUNTY,

Be it remembered that on this 25th day of April, A. D., 1878, before me, H. V. Van Dusen, a notary public in and for said county, personally came John Russell, who subscribed to the above statement, and swears that the same is true in each and every particular.

[L. 8.]

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and set my seal the day and date above written.

H. V. VAN DUSEN,

Notary Public.