Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-03-14
THE PRISON TROUBLES.

| Nh. Case OF Geo. Ehrnan Before Aid. Wiley
The case of George Ehman, the hos.
baker at the county prison, who is charged
by Plison-Keeper BurkhOlder with con
spring with Leonard Schenberger, a con.
vict, to commit larceny of cigars from
the prison, was heard before Alderman
Wiley this morning.
The testimony presented by the com
monwealth was substantially the same az
that taken by Alderman Spurrier last week
at the hearing of the case OF
larceny charged against Schdsnberger.
The witnesses were Mr.. and Mrs. Burk-
holder, Cnder Keeper Albert MUIR, and
Jere Cooper, the prison salesman. The
finding of Ehman's satchel containing 400
cigars in the barrels OF potato sprouts
outside the prison walls, where the refuse
from the kitchen is usually carried, was
rather more fully explained. The prison
stable is outside the prison: the gate from
the prison yard opens north near Orange
street not far from the east wall OF the
prison yard. 1t was to open this gate
that Ehman got the keys from Under
keeper MUIR, who, as directed, notified
Keeper Burkholder, anl it Was near this
gate that Ehman was seen by BurkhOlder.
who was on the watch, and Schenberger
was seen lettering after his discharge
from prison on the 1st of March, and from
which Burkhoidef ordered him away be-
fore the finding of the stolen cigars. II
was shown 10y tho witness that Ehman had
control of the bake house and kitchen,
also OF the bathroom and water closet.
We're lie and Schennberger were when Mrs
Burkhoider overheard them talking about
the satchcl. 1t was also shown that Eh
Han had no access to the cigar room,
and that unstamDed cigars could not
be taken from the room unless they
were stolen. Some merrimcnt was
evoked when Mr.. Burkholder in indentify-
ing the cigars said they were called "All
the 60" 1t was proven that Schoenberger
was examined before his discharge from
Jail and that he had no satchel when he
was passed out of the front gate. 1t was
proved that the valise in which the cigars
were found belonged to Ehman and that
he had loaned it to Schenberger, and the
key to it was in Schnnberger's possession
when he was arrested On cross,examina-
tion it was developed that nearly all the
menial work in aud about the prison is
done by pfisonerS-SOme o: whom have
been sentenced to solitary confinement.
j. Hay Brown, esq, of counsel Tor Eh-
man, inveighed severely against the ire
form" prison keeper thus setting at def
ance the sentence imposed upon cOnvicts
by the courts. This raised a wrangle
among opposing counsel and it was with
difficulty that Mr.. Burkholder was after
wards enabled to get in an explanation in
effect that about 125 convicts have
been sentenced to solitary coDfine-
iDent : that there are only .75 cells in
which to con!ine thcm that when lie en-
tered upon his duties on the I'd of January,
he found Schmnberger and other convicts
OH duty in the bake-house, kitchen and
other departments ; and that he had left
them there: at the request of the board Of
inspectors.
At1he conclusion of the testimony short
speeches in behalf of the commonwealth
were made by E. X. Martin and H. M.
North esqs., counsel for the commonwealth,
aud by ]. l.. Steinmetz, J. Hay Brown
and S. Ii. Reynolds, esqs., for defendants
Alderman Wiley held both Schnnberger
and Ehman in $500 bail to answer at court
the charge of conspiracy. Ehman furnished
the bail and Schmnbergcr in default of it,
went to jail.