New-York tribune., 1884-03-02
MIR. ROOSEVELT'S COMMITTEE.
THE JAIL AND THE suRRoGATE's OFFICE.
ATTACHES OF BORN HEARD D-sURRoGArE hoLiINS
Az IMPORTANT WITNESS.

lac afol yc-
Welt Erwin ONeil. and Nelson were present WIN Mr
,,;,,o, os oouneei Later Mr. Peckhlm arrived. MI
r,r r,,esentcd sheriff Davidson in the examination
~ witness respecting the Ludlow steet JAN James NC
Gure a keeper, testified that he had hcd po'i'lon III
te iaiI about four years and two months lie maze ont
tbo board bills every month from January until septem-
brr 1as3 He received definite instructions from any
one as o the manner OF making mp the bills, but simply
followed the course pursued by Captain Altman, former
denuty warden. lie said that he understood that
for every prisoner entering the Jail the Sheriff was to re-
ceive 10 cents a day 50 far as he knew charges
might have been made IN the bills for prisoners for whom
the sheriff received board. The name Of every prisoner
was I'm book that he kept and from this he made up tue
bills He did not know that it necessary, before the
sheriff could charge prisoner that the latter should
take an OATH and he had never read the notice In the
prison stating that prisoner can become charge upon
he comfy unless he takes the oath that he not able TO
support himself. He generally present when prls-
oncrs entered. They did not take any
OATH but SIMPLY wrote their names upon
the blank. Tho witness supposed that the paper
was only kind of voucher show that such prisoner
had been received As 10 the habits OF the keepeTShe had
seen Captain Brewer drunk once or twice during Sheh
Dayidson's administrations There were three removals
fordrunkonness Keeper Dalton was one, hut he was re-
nsated within three four months. The witness had
told prisoners that they took board they would receive
greater privileges and have better cells. lie knew OF
money being demanded Of prisoners on leaving the Jail
He had made the demand himself The SUN usually asheu
was ~ 30 This went TO the deputy warden lie had re-
cclved money for his use from prisoners Tor dohS
them favors When asked whether he had ever seen
DENNY Warden Herman drunk he said he Thought he had
How did YOU know he was drtnk'' well might
smell II of him. was the reply.
4 DISCHARGED KEEPERS TESTIMONY.
William Byme, keeper III the jail from January D.
1888 until about week before the fall election SAID that
Sheriff DAVIDSON there one morning aud told him ne
did not need him any longer No reason was assigned
Subsequently, the Sheriff offered him place as keeper on
the Island but lie declined. He demanded an invesga
ton aud IL was refused He heard aferward through
John W. Kehoe that the Sheriff said that he yrnc) was
working against bis interests and was too KIND
10 the prisoners. The witness 4aid he
had seen Keepers Brewer. Gafney. McKcnna
Mnrphy and Dalton drunk last summer. He had met
the influence 81 liquor that they could not put thc Key IN
the door He had twice Kiernan under the
influence of liquor He haG not reported the drunkenness
OF the Keepers the warden or deputy warden because
he Thought II his duty To interfere, as the latter
must have seen Il as much as ,hood ne haddi ana ana
knew that when prisoners stopped boarding they wore nt
i'm cells on higher tiers also that when criminal prisoners
transferred from the Iobs as many a. nfSe @ wc[9
locked in cells from halfpaet in the afternoon unt
the hour The next morning ne & wa aware % OF on9
and bringing whiskey INTO the Jail for prisoners. Inc
beds were unfit human beings to sleep on previous to
an he had himself made omp to the warden
frequently heard Of complaints respecting the food AZ
once the number down TO two or three ,
Mr. Cochran cross-eXa0lined the witness closely. stig
The witness could not positively that the dismissed
keepers reeyed their g9y nous aep on % e pay @S
the witness said he did not dT1nk diop OF hquor
all the time he wae IN the Ia
FEES IN THE sURRoGATr's COURT.
Ausbonc NJ Dickinson, clerk Of the Surrogate Cont,
testified that received salary accounting clerk of
81 500 His fees amounted 10 about 5000 a month net.
out of The gross he paid two copyists about $40
month each. The fees received for certification of
papers were divided equally between himself and
ae and eifrSs rSs ePiDs e thought that about two
Thirds Of his time was given to duties clerE Of the
court and onethird To those Of accounting clerk. Mr.
Erwin asked him what he would think OF striking out all
hat t%s the duties Of clerk Of the court severe
Mr. Erwin-Don't you think that your fees and salary,
amounting in all to $4,000, are too much Al do not,
o-Dont you think that it would he for the general
were TO have salary Al DO not know mat IT would
rectncs, Of the copies but that no pecuniay responsible
ity attached to the duty OF certiicaon The chairman
asked if the work for which he received $50 month
could DE just well done II two cOpyiss were Icgi-
larry employed at $40 month. The witness thought
thai il cOald not, on account OF the Work Incidental TO
handling the papers, but finally expressed the opinion
that possibly the duty might be performed 10y ihrce
Robert Young. aucOneer, who has been twice civil
prisoner in the Ludlow street jail rom December l.
M 10 snS ,taeS s9 aa S@ hat @ he sT ws !Ol
former partner of John kcenan and was imprisoned on
OF 5000 owed by the firm. He appeared witness be-
fore the Grand Jury at the time the inquiry into the
that even by him before the Grand Jury and referred TO
wcknown snd longrecognzed abuses practised In the
jail.
SURROGATE ROLLINS on HE STAND.
surrogate Daniel q. Rollins next witness. His
testimony respecting fees c0rrObOrded that of Chief
Clerk Leary and Mr. Dickinson. As to the resolution of
the Board of Aldermen respecting thcse fees Mr. Rollins
said he had doubt IL perfectly proper ono not
wihsanGIDeu had not received the approval OF Inc
Mayor When tho section Of The code on which
the revolution was bi'ed sin = INC bodlu .ol
Aldermen il meant the Board of Aldermen and not the
Mayor That construction had been supported hy the
opinion OF the Corporation Counsel He ala not keep
record book of fees received because he had received no
fees He why the system OF fees to the
ccrS Of the court should not be abolished Respecting
the privilege 10 Mr. Van Senaick he seftcr OF citations
H. said that he had found him there ana had allowed him
to remain. He had. District Attorney. seen the I
advantage of having subpoena clerks associated with /
work performed by Mr.. schaick st had
his ears. There had been no complaints whateyer HIS
retention was urged by Judge Davis, Judge Van Worst
him as assistants were snbprna clerk in the bisrctAf
torncys Office whom Mr.. Rollins was there lie OBJ
with his Office az such on salary, though he thought
it would be better TO have him paid by fees:
But in the absence OF any provision OF /
proper thing TO have Mr. Van schaick in the Office. Mr
Rollins then said that be wanted to take with him into !
officially associated IN the DistrctAttoncys Office andn
whom he had absolute confidence u said TO Mr. Me ,
Keon, who is Democrat" confined Mr. Rollins, that
man for would Ike to keep every officer that was
nted for his work retained every man who was IN
sbe position and there has never been any political
consideration entering the appointment OF any person
except to limited extent among the appointment Of
cOpyists employees Of that sort | proposed tO Mr. |
Kcon 10 keep any good Democrat il he would keep
good Republican, That proposition never carried /
out. Mr.. McKcOn kept one man, believe and kept ,
ten"
The surrogate was led into sort Of informal talk re-
spccting the business Of his office, which he said was
constantly increasing He expressed the opinion That
relief ought in a measure 10 be afforded.
The committee adjourned to meet Friday next at 10
O'clock An executive session will De held tomorrow for
the consideration of certain bills.
PURCHASERS OF OLEOMARGARINE.
AND REsTAURANTs TIE BEST |