New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-15
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

dence taken by your committee, numerous to ad
NIT OF much than cursory mention in this report
and in preparing remedy these abuses your
mittee have very carefully considered the system In
vogue under which by color OF law, the Sheriff enabled
10 receive for hs yearly tens OF thousands OF
| dollars for performing services which in reality
fRe popoed act deals solely WITH that branch Of the
office in which duties are performed which deyoive upon
the Sheriff. and which he is compelled by statute 70 per
form for the benefit OF the county and for which he Is
under existing laws authorized TO receive far and
whatever he made in that branch OF his Office which
deals win the enlargement or serving OF processes and
which in testimony he called the "cvil branch,
distinguished from the other No change whatever has
been made IN the amount OF fees 10 be received by him
in the services which he required 10 perform, and for
which provision j. made IN the Code Of Procedure These
fees 70 remain "a now fixed by law and the Sheriff Ia
10 continue 70 receive them to his OVID use The abuses
! which have been shown 10 exist IN the civil
! branch Of his office Will appear when the testi
mony Is printed; in brief they consist in re-
pe'F ana tagr3t ms al,so slc -o7t '1s, hl aihg
luey nave bceu known 10 e4lst ioi 'ds' l tAe reley
il in great measure In the hands Of the legal profession
Ing bod stand ana ny stcAlHs r,ei ia tue courts 10
! away with them to "a very great extent.
The object Of the proposd get however s 70 protect
tributng thousands OF dollars yearly 20 nj the caparous
may 81 bo e S1 or e SIy q IN inc p rcS OF f b
sheriff once is radically different from al the other feed
public large compelled pay him yearly for services
which it the sheriff almost nothing 10 perform and
which services are all ouly indirectly FOR the benefit
Of the public while Of the other feed offices
the ices are never pad except services rendered the
request OF individuals who know the legal charges
are and who need pay more than the legal Zee.
Under existing laws the sheriff il entitled 10 receive in
addition 90 the allowed by the code for service, in
the civil" branch OF his Office certain fixed and specific
sums for unmoung grand JuHr- Tor drawing panels OF
State prisons etc, etc 80 change ], proposed y your
committee 10 any OF these fees or allowance I'm 1di
ton 10 these fees which ara specifically fixed the sheriff
is authorized 10 receive reasonable compensation Tor
and for which be looks 70 the county for his pay He Is
required 70 make lers monty 90 Tue 5r'teIy OF
state ot all conVlr ions Id me criminal courts 10 ms cry
for which Dc is tO Do allowed reasonable compensation
to be nxad by Board OF Aldermen. This work whch
consists Of filing IN printed blanks and which can easily
be performed by one ordinary clerk at a sal
a wear. was performed last year " the
Sheriff at cost the city OF r26,299, the Board OF A.
this service fifty cents for each conviction reported
The sheriff also required 10 convey prisoners from the
Prison 30 Blackw wells Island and andais Island and for
Compensation to be fixed by tho Board OF Aldermen The
evidence howes that ell these prisoners transported
by the sheriff in a van which with the horses
81 900. driver and two Deputy sherifs
panY the van ~ and nom the prison whenever prisoners
carried The only expenses connected with this ser
vice necessarily consist OF the wages OF the driver and
OF the opinion that $1,000 per annun would be very
liberal allowance, anu would nOI' IMAM
Yet the Sheriff received during the year 1883 S23109
from the county for conveying prisoners alone through
the berality Of the Board Of Aldermen In allowing him.
reasonable compensation 81 40 a heSd TOT c@ch
prisoner conveyed The absurdy Of this allowance can
be better appreciated when II Il known that the distance
from the City Prison to the courts Is about ak city blocks
or less than half mile.
OF Aldermen is authorized 20 contract With the sheriff for
support OF civil prisoners confined IN the County Jail
adopted in the year 1876 resolution by the terms OF
which the sheriff Ia authorized 10 charge Is cents day
or al the rate OF - p week for feeding each prisoner
inst double the paid In the TOmbs prison for the sup
port OF prisoner ne oaern y" ~ p@ % S county O iOI
half Of which undoubtedly clear profit. Again, II Ia
made the duty OF the Sheriff to serve notices upon petit
| n-ors IN he county FOR which service be Is
authorized 70 receive reasonable eompensa-
served, during the year 1883 Che rate allowed by the
Board Of Aldermen the Sheriff received from the county
vino received for their services So So or less
hsn half the sum actually p!a ont % tne tTeSlIy aaa
easily performed for still sInale amount II addition
20 these LIBERAL allowances the sheriff 10y the grace OF tie
Board Of Aldermen given about 5000 whenever per
Is hung. hi, SUM l. exclusive Of AL necessary ex
penscs which amount at each hanging 10 eVeIa hundred
H. sun up the Sheriff was paid during the year lss3,
authorized to receive reasonable compensation,
whereas your committee believe that $4,000 would be
III 0fhr EIIS our ny York SiiU r rcnJ
10 pay tie sheriff 100000 during the year $50. and
ne law, by me To.i az Sldcrr1e1 he e1ouii have re-
crved and the bin present becomes law ~c believe
u will Insure saving to the taxpayers oI about 7'o'
The investigation Of this Office has shown, however,
that Notwithstanding the liberal allowances made by the
Board Of Aldermen for these various services there has
been constant attempt Oh the part Of the sueru on-
cas TO charge az these liberal rates for services which
were never performed or IN other words 20 roD tne NY
Treasury on All occasions 10 was clearly shown tuat IN
he
clear steal OF about $1,000 FOR the past year. IL luIher
appeared that in charging FOR The support or prisoners 10
charged each excess OF the time that each
prisoner actually remained JAIL and that though the
county unless he takes oath that be II unable 10 sup
mort himself The prison authorities IN utter dsregard Of
the law. have habualy charged Tor prisoners who
never took any oath whatever. though the warden 81 the
is H. oi,g@d 10 make AFFIDAVIT every month that an
the prisoners charged for have taken an oath
that they unable TO support themselves
n IL certain that large part Of the money received by
wa obtained without color Of right and upon fraud
ulent vouchers verified by the warden ana sheriff. -
An examination into tho condition OF Ludlow street
Jail and system upon which II Is run has dts
cood most revolving and almost lhtIJo'1 sur 81
affairs suffice II say upon this subject mat "hh win
drunken and brutal Keepers and thOrousb sSsieh VI e1
torton and 0ldc kulau Oh tle par o. '-l. , a.
ties imposed upon those prisoners VINO are 700 o"I 20 pay
for favara literally extended 20 those who can
uron such a perncOus system, r. foul dot upon the
civ state which. in the opinion OF TINS committee
the proper authorities should HaAe IL ueu DusIneS9 ~
wipe ont at once. .-..,...-,,
from tho Board Of Aldermen the power Of liking no
sherfs for for which, under existing laws
tion," and to lodge this power IN me Board
Of Estimate and Apportion,nent, wherf holon gn
bo,iiS fbo Xxi he s.ad beea1se the only effect OF
provisions Will be 10 change the body or board whch Is 20
x the reasonable compensation 10 be LloT wed the sleu,
conpensario1 Thisis exactly as II should be, and
the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment does us uIy
there will probably result saving Of soOooO annually
desires 20 call attention 70 the iael hA1
the general scheme has been observed ID al me pro
posed aoi rellting tO the sheriff County Clerk Regis
Ter and Surrogate and has been our intenilon ny t
bills lodge m the Board OF Estimate ANA Apl'oI uuu
mcnt the power subject 10 certain restrictions 10 est
mate and appropriate the moneys h'csraH'J -
maintain and carry on the various juices Win
reference To which these bills have Oecn uLa~ VI
Your committee have also reported bII 10 ADoH,h IN
prisonmunt Tor debt evil actions except 10 certain
specified eases believing that Imprisonment i"f uru
while 10 may occasionally work good Ia Tar si'aI'I
number 81 cnseH works harm, ana thai III u one o tu.o
surviving remnants Of the barbarOus system OF IA" ha
prevailed during the Last century. We have also fep1icN
bin repeating tho passed ast wear which allowed Ae
Sheriff 10 take prisoners from the IomDs ana Keep thcm
Ludlow street jail this measure soIssf IA tho