The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-17
OUR Inn In LUDLOW STREET.
WHAT WITNESS SIrS or THLTEXTRA-
ORDINARY HOSTELRr.
The Amenities Provided for "Red" Lenry
and Others who Had Moncy-A bar that
Warden Watson IL said TO Have Known.

The Amenities Provided for "Red" I.enry
and Others who Had Money-A bar that
Warden Watson IL Said TO Have Known.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. George Tcknor
Curtis, the referee appointed by Gov. Robinson
to try the charges made by tho Bar Association
against Sheriff Bernard Reilly. began to take
testimony in the ofilcc OF Mcssrs Yanderpocl
Green 4 Cunning the dofondant's lawyers
Mr.. ]. A. Bush conducted tho case for the Bar
Association. Sheriff Reilly. who entered late
was hot and rather nervous. He took his scat
by the side OF Mr.. II. W. Bookstavcr. ono OF his
lawyers. and listened intcntly TO tho testimony
The only witness examined was Mr.. j. Edward
ireland. recently released from Ludlow street
Jail Ho is an understood man. with n heavy
dark beard. whskers. aud moustache. His
hair is slightly tinged with gray. but his eye is
bright and extraordinarily quick. Ho an
swered all tho questions put to him readily an /
intcllecntly. and. in addition. volunteered
vast amount Of testimony that had TO bc ruled
out. lie was called to show that Ludlow street
jail is in a disgraceful condition and so far ns
the direct examination went he seemed to prove
1t abundnnty
He said that he was 40 years Of age. and lived
at Broadway and Twentieth street He was ar
rested and taken to Ludlow street Jail under n
New York on August 30. 1878 aud liberated on
May 10, 1879. lie described the construction Of
tho Iall. and said that on the lower floor were
two rooms which rented to wealthy prisoners Mt
go and slD week; and another and hand
sDncr room which brought S75 a week. The
witness had paid Mt first $3.50 and niterward
so week Tor his board in the Jail As
bourder hr WIS far hctcr treated than tho non
paying prisoners. Each OF the latter had in his
cell an iron hrdstcad q straw mattress and pill
low, conrse army blanket. and an iron slop
pau-nothing elsei no she"iA or pillow cases.
These prisoners were locked up at o'clock in
"a M
coils nj In the morning. Their coils were. for
the most part, ilthy, and one OF them, belong
dirty that It made the witness sick to 90 near It..
lne pA{ing grsGnsrs; on ~, rs contrary were
dining room for their meals and were waited
upon by q colored attendant known as Mare
Antony They had clean sheets and pillow
remain in the yard until l0s o'clock at night.
besides being allowed various other privileges.
Mr. titzsimmons went around the Jail every
week to collect the board bills. and generally
there was no delay In the payment.
After time the witness ceased TO be n paying
inmate, and NJ once experienced change OF
treatment HIS sheets and pillow. cases were
removed. he was locked up at - o'clock in the
evening, and tho quality Of tho food furnished
was widely different from what It had been.
His friends. too. were rarely permitted TO see
him. and once. because n lady and gentleman
wh9 called upon him entered his cell the keeper
locked him up from = O'Clock in the afternoon
until o'clock the following morning. and de-
privcd him Of his supper.
The hil Of fare Tor paying prisoners. as
he described H. was not surculont or delicate
On Monday FOR breakfast they got dry bread
which wis often sour. ana a concoction which
WIS called coffee. Every morning. Sunday in
cluded. the same breakfast was served. On
Monday, for dinner. they got what was face
uously termed an Irish stew. consisting Of
onions. 70 little meat. and hread. all being served
In a tin pail. without knife. fork. spoon pepper,
or salt. On Tuesday. for dinner, n plentiful
supply of heans. so strong and pungent that
they made the prisoners sick. was ladled out.
On Wednesday the Irish stew WAS served again.
on Thurs lay and sunday cornrd beef and po-
tatoes constituted the banquet. on Friday fish.
and on Saturday the stew once more.
For supper. throughout tho week. n pint Of
had tea and a piece OF hard bread were served.
All the meals were carried around in a tin
bucket and ladled out in the cells.
When the witness first became an inmate OF
the prison the floor ~ his cell and his bed werO
covered with coating Of nth hall an inch
thick. lie WAS unable 10 rcmove il himself aud
h. had to pay T. have il taken away.
., Inere Were three Or Tour female prisoners In
had free access 20 all parts OF the prison. and
associated Familiarity with the men. He once
saw one OF them having her supper served in a
oqthe ground floor was a cell called tho bar
cell " where liquor was sold The witness had
WIZ s Sa ss Sr S o. SFe as t aa
dchauchery frequently took place there
The witness knew man called Red " Leary.
He WAS brought 10 the mil IN December. and
the last time Mr. Irclani saw him was al Q
o'elock on IA" night ~ May 7. His cell number
II. adloiued the witnesses cell. and was near
the harroom. Leary's cell was the best In the
were brought To- HIM ty Marc Antony. and he
seemed TO do very much rs he liked. lie had
great deal ~ company. especially women. and
there were often "a dozen persons In and about
his cell The witness knew Mrs Leary's APP
p"nrance. and he was satisfied that many
women other than his wife called 70 see the
burglar. They remained with him late. often
alter half past 10 O'Clock. and tho witness Eas
frequently ii disturbed hy hearing ieary and i is
friends singing coarse and vulgar songs far
into the night They ircquented tho bar ~ all
hours, but the witness never saw Mr.. L"Ary
flf.aNs Ia nm 4 .L
hymns. but not often. The witness knew Of nj
least a duz'n occasions upon which women
other than Leary's wife had been locked up
with him in his cell all night.
Some time in last February or March the wit
ness was passing Leary's cell when the door
WAS open. He looked In and saw Warden Wat
son lying ON the burglars bed so drunk that
he didn't know what he was about The Wit
ness saw the same thing three times aiterward.
and be- frequently noticed Watson drinking
with Leary. and assocating with tho burglar
and the women who visited him In his cell.