The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-27

First Meeting Of the Supervisors Investigating
Committee-Sherif Williams Takes the
stand-colonel Conrady and the
Cook Testify.

Cook Testify.
Yesterday afternoon there was meeting Of the
| Supervisory Special Committee, appointed to In
vestigate the charges OF excessive charges fol
board against Mr.. Williams, the republican Sherin
Of Kings county, which were preferred by Supervi
sor Coe, OF the Thirteenth ward. at recent meet
ing OF the Board. The meeting was held in the
Supervisors room, there being present. besides the
Messrs. Coe, Cotterell and Ryder, Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Levi Faron and several members Of
| the Board Of Supervisors and Aldermen The spec.
tat0rs In the lobby were not numerous. Ex-Distrct
Attorney Samuel D. Morris appeared for the
Sheriff, who was present and earnestly watched
the progress Of the investigation. The Chairman
Of the committee, Mr.. Coe, occupied the chair.
SHERIFF ARAs O. WILLIAMS
testified under oath that the vouchers for February
are details which he left with his jaer; he could
not say that he knew where they are; he had
never seen the commitments or vouchers since
they were In the hands Of the clerk who makes out
the bn It Is not true that food left BY one prisoner
ts given to Another. - X -.
supervisor COOL intend to prove that he has
not bought food enough to have furnished the
number Of prisoners which he has charged for.
MIR. Morris, ns counsel. objected to the question,
as 1t was not material The question was con-
sdered proper, and Mr.. Williams answered that he
did not know exactly Of his own knowledge what
quality Of food was furnished
Mr.. HOWARD G. ooNRADY
was then examined. When asked by Supervisor
Coe II he had the vouchers or commitments with
him, he replied he had not. They had, he said,
been burned.
Supervisor Coe-Then I must get at this matter
In different way How much meat do you give
the prisonerss
pound Of meat every other day.
The witness then proceeded to describe the
amount OF food.
The loaves of bread varied In size; they were not
uniform; some loaves weighed two and a half
pounds and some weighed ten pounds. The l0aves
weighing two and Q han pounds were cut In four
pieces, and larger loaves were cut In i've or six
supervisor Coe-When prisoner is sent to jail
Tor one day what Is your ruler
Mr.. Oonrady-A1ter taking his pedigree and max
ing q record Of IL turn him out.
supervisor Coe-Then 1t is not for the purpose OF
charging DAYS board for him
Mr.. C0nrady-NO, sir; when o man was brought
there witness considered MIN In Jail whether he
was put In cell or not, and after the pedigree was
county was charged thirty-fve cents for each com.
mltment and seventy-fve cents for board, making
committed for one day when prisoner Was sent
IN on the lst and discharged on the 10th that was
ten Gays aud 50 charged George
on the Cd; ne was charged for two days but this
MI. Conrady explained as clerical error
two days. board for the imprisonment Of person
on the same day. When did william Crummy 60
into Jail; look on the 9th OF April
Witness-He went in on the 9Th and out on the
sth OF April, and was charged two days board;
me ~ s m aaa on
Julia Fitzpatrick went in on the 18th and out on
the 14th OF April, for which two days. board was
charged; she was sent TO Court on the l4th and,
returning, she was retained there until the 23d;
two commitments were charged for.
separate commitments when prisoner comes In
on one day aud out on the next Tor examination 2
The counsel for the Sheriff explained that by ref
erence to the law 1t would be seen that the two
commitments were entirely direrent and hence
Supervisor coeFrom the 18th to the 2ad how
many days Is thatS
Supervisor Coe-And you have charged fourteen
on tSe I'll & xpr ana out o. sSs sstS, and TsscE
on the same day. was he not discharged on May 7,
and ten days board chargedP
witness replied In tie Affirmative, as was also the
on n she @ on %n
brought back again on ten days. commitment;
he was discharged on the l4th instant ana ten
Mary Steadman was received on the 4th instant
discharged on the same day, brought back and
discharged on the 18th instant Ten days. board
John Mccormick was received on the 18th instant,
OSCnarxeQ on tne lZtn, came Dack the same DAY,
was discharged on the 2ad, and ten days board
was charged for him.
John Mccormack was received on the Goth ofMay,
discharged on the same day and brought back to
Jail, where he remained until June A. Ten days
board was charged the county.
WHAT THE JAIL COOK SAYS
John Armstrong the cook employed at the Ray
mond street JAIL was the next witness called, and,
being duly sworn, testified that the bread, which
was made into ordinary sized leaves, was cut up
into five slices for breakfast and supper; on fish
days 1t was cut into six pieces and distributed to
I'm Nrtpn fnR a ma q hn MAJ md
men who were very hungry an extra piece OF
bread furnished witness had cut 1t so for the
last three Shertds; the men in the Kitchen hand
in the food to the prisoners and witness filled the
pans and put up all the meals; about $50 pans
DAY are thus delivered; keep no record OF how
many are daily fed and can't say whether the
number OF pans has been as low as It's pans day;
q day; have been COOK In the jail under Sheriffs
Campbell and Walter, and the prisoners are better
taken OF now than under any previous shel1ffs
Tn closed the taking Of testimony and Sheriff
wanted to be heard in this matter early as pos.
sibfe, and he hoped that when they got through
with II, he would satisfy him as wei as every man
that he had acted properly In the discharge Of his
The Chairman replied that he hoped the Sheriff
would be able to do this, and that Ii he had done
him wrong, he would gladly apologize to him. II
Sheriff must take the consequences. With regard
to hurrying the investigating committee IN the
matter, he did not think that they would tncon-
vouchers and commitments had been burned
The Counsel explained that 1t bad been customary
for the past thirty years to destroy these papers,
which accumulated rapidly, and were OF no use,
The committee subsequently adjourned to meet
at three O'Clock on next Thursday afternoon.
NTIRA