The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-12-01
Presentment.
THE GRAND JURY OF THE COUN-
TYOF NEW YORK PRESENT:

That al the present term oil the &rand ~
nv. complaint was made 10 "ieth OIL ce''"I'
,,;.,l.,,i,ns of law committed his persons con
,.rctca with the PenilentIary OIL biackWeii
Il,,d The charge made againct officers
ul one oflhe public prisons. was tha' con
vi cts. whose term ol punishment had not e9
n;reJ were pormitted 10 escape from The
peniten,iarv on the second day oil November
1916. and were brsugh, 10 the city Tor th'
,ur,osc of voting ut the election 10 be helt
~, he third day Of November, that being
The dav of the annual election Tor State anC
other officers.
The grave character OF tic charge indu
col tl,e Jnry 70 act with that deliberaiioI
which was REQUIRE AT their hands, not OIL,
from The character OF the officers charged
bur also an anxiety 10 discover by when SC
gross an outrage on one Of The bulwarks o.
uonular IiYertyhad been pcrPetraied.
The Grat.d Jury has bcen satisfied that al
the last sprinq election prisoners were per
mi,ted to leave BIackwcl;s Island previous
n. The exr;ration of .hcir term Of service
and ,vcrc landed, on the evening previous 10
IN. oIoc,ioa from; vessel which had iefI
Bl,ckyelrs Island on that day. The Grand
Jury il also satisfied that they were brought
down TO this city for The purpose OF voting al
The spring election.
The Grand Jury have come 10 the conclu-
sion that :here are persons now employed by
the CoIporaiion. who aided and abetted III
the escapc of prisoners con Sicted by the fri
bunals OF the Stale,
The testimony produced shows, that some
nj he officers employed on the IsHud made
orranoemenis TO throw into the Ninth ard
Fourteenth Wards of this city, number o.
convicts for the purpose Of voting. The les
rimony shows that the prisoners. on the sec'
ond day of November last, exchanged theII
nrison clothes for their ordinary eIlIzehs
dress. that they were taken across the river
abou; dark. by the keepers. in boats. placed
in vehicles. brought 10 this city, and placed
in houses for the night The parties ior
The respective Wards crossed at different
places. under the guidance Of different keep
Or. The Gang which WIS destined iorop-
cr.tors IN The Fourteenth Ward. were taker
IN a house on Howard ST, where policeman
named Michael Finnegar, 81 The 4th Ward
WIS =, sisiing during the night IN coniribu-
ling 10 Il cir cumio;'. TLey were then sup
plied with liquors and other refreshments
About daylight the party was arrested by
Jusiice Merritt and Alderman Benson The
policeman Finnegan was relieved llom duty
on TINT nj rht. al the request o. B. Purdy. The
Superintendent of Lamps and GaF, and the
Grand jury have no doubt that MIR. 7. knew
for what narpose Mr. Finnesan was relic
we'd.
The gang ofconvicts when arrested, were
found with Francis Mclaughlin, one OF The
d .puiy keepers for Nhoman indictment has
been ordered The convicts destined 10 remain
in the Ninth Ward were taken 10 house IN
that ward. and like those taken 10 house III
the II h Ward, thew were provided with llq-
uors and other refreshments. The person
in whose charge they were, left them dunns
the night, promised 10 return, when aitoT
w ,iiing IS they supposed, Il reasonable time
the finally passed resolution that they
wonI leave the house which was carried III
rT.rf. aal the convicis were again that nigh
let loose upon this community.
The GRIND jury have not been able &C
cura.e'y TO ascertain the number OF prisoner
that was permitted 10 come off the Island: ex
arrcratcd accounts have been given ni tht
number. They believe lhr number to be a
b,ut thirty. II is not The number oil prison
ers tax en-, but the fact thai one prisoner wa
taken Out Of prison, by public officers, To-
sIch purpose, should shock the moral sens'
The CIR and Jury have presented bills oil
in.licrments against those who, in their opin
ion. have aided and abcttcd in the escape
he prisoners, or neglected their resps' tIv
dutirs rs Police Officers entrusted with III
Penirentiary. There are others who, alih'
moi subject 10 Crin.inal Laws OF the ian'
h I'VE shown themselves, by their oonduc
uait 10 hold Offices of trust and responslbIIIi
and 10 receive the moEics OF our tolllHg, taA
plvinE citizens. They cannot believe III.
The constituted authorities Of this city vi
permit either Mr.. Purdy. Sutton, Francs
DInham. 10 retain the places they nov hoi'
connected as these persons are, Win Ill
sr4n-acfions of the night of The second day
November, in the ! l:h Ward. The Gran
Jury have no, been able to discover TN
prisoners have been taken into any ONE
wards but those named.
HENRY ERBEN, Foremar.
The following is list Of the Grand j
rOrs:
Henry Erbcn, James Dcvce,
David Young. lSSa Van Auken,
Stephen Valentine, !. {. Taylor,
JB. TAYLOR. WIN Smith,
&. II. Skidmorc, John Parcl
L. Lamb John Lewis,
J. Hanigan, John e Hull.