The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-02-07
PURSUING KEEPERLAVERTY
A sATURyALLA OF PERJURY no OYER
WHELM HIM.

A SATURSALEA OF PERJURY TO OYER.
WHKLM HIM
The Vile Persecution 60 Which He is Beina
Subjected by the Republican Inspector.
for a Little Party Advantage--TnIes Of
Debauchery that Destroy Credence
TRENTON, Feb. lit begins to look as
though the State Prison inspectors were
paving the way for villainously dirty per
sonal assault pom State Prison Keeper
Laverty. For some time past there has
been strong feeling between the Keeper
and the Inspectors. Whether it grew Out
of the awarding of the Fitch & Downs con,
tract by the Board of Inspectors against the
Judgment OF the Keeper, or whether that
controversy m arely served to intensity it,
the feeling has been specially marked since
the difference of sentiment upon that topic
of prison management manifested itself.
Keeper Laverty and Governor Albeit both
refused to sign it, and all efforts on the
part of the Inspectors to induce the Gov
ernor and the Keeper to share with them
the responsibility for letting out prison la
Dor at fuinously low prices for the State by
appending their signatures have signally
failed. The next Development, as reported
in the SUNDAY TATTLER at the time, was
the attempt of Jarrard and Baldwin and
other Republican rascais to interfere with
prison management by their unlost infiu-
ence ever the Board. The Keeper found
that the prison stripes robbed these men
of none of their old-time arrogance, and
broke up the convict autocracy by scatter
ing &c Bankers Row" to the four wings of
the prison. Their friends in the Board
were disguised at this checkmate move of
the head of the prison. and political and
personal animosities have been at boiling
point ever s nce The schemers in the
Board have since been looking around for
weapons TO beat the Keepers brains out
with sni the charge made by Minnie
Schaffer against the keeper was seized
upon with ravenous eagerness the moment
it was made. They found ready allies out
side party lines, in Democratic enemies the
Keepers active participation in Trenton
politics had made; and the two bands OF
partisans went around declaring that, in
spite Of Minnie Schaffers indictment for
perjury, and in spite of her retraction, she
had alleged only what was true. The
Keeper courted an investigation, and was
SO conscious of his perfect innocence that
he even invited his enemies in the Board
to make it. They began the work and
have since been engaged in the taking
what they call testimony upon the sub
ject They have summoned no end of
prison strumpets before them to tell their
little stories; and, free from fear of pun
ishment for perjury, utterly lost to, the
sanciity of an oath, and encouraged and
protected by the knowledge that the
Roord Iaosrac N 10 oooou ona;nef
the Keeper at whatever hazards, these
women have sworn to the most impos-
sible of narratives to bear up the charges
The decree has gone out that the Keeper
is to be ruined and disgraeed, and perfect
saturnalia of perjury marks each sitting of
the Board. Each characterless convict
ush rad into the room as a witness tries
to outvie all the others in the revolving
flthiuess of her story. One brazen- faced
creature, who was released from Sing Sing
oaly to be taken to answer charges in New
York actually has the audacity to swear
that the Keeper was mad enough to ravish
Minnie Schaffer in her presence. An
other describes the Keeper as having sum
moHed Minnie from a room full of female
conyicts, by a wink, into another room,
and then locked himself up with her for
half an hour. Another describes the
woman, after q tete-d-tets with the Chief
practically under the eyes of dozens Of
her fellow prisoners, as returning to
her convict ccmpatriots to boast of the
fresh shame she had brought upon herself
during her absence. 1t is madness to ask
any one to believe such stories of anybody
The vilast wretch on the face of Gods
footstool would not lend himself to such
shameless revels as these abandoned crea-
49,. nAk e
charge upon the courtly Keeper of the
prison. Their testimony defeats itself by
the revolving impossibilities it pictures.
And yet this Board of model investigators
is drinking it in with voracious avidity,
and hailing each new revelation of debased
Imagination as additional evidence against
the man they are so anxious to overthrow
The report of the investigators, based
upon the licentious rawlings of these
abandoned creatures, vii be present
ed to Governor Abbott. IF charges are
made, the Governor will tie expected to
send them to the Legislature for investiga-
ton but the partisans in the legisl ature
are not disposed to wait upon the Cover
nor's action. They have already prepared
resolutions under which the same stories
are to be retold to an Investigating COM
mittee, and it is altogether likely that they
will be offered some time this week.
There are two gentlemen among the in
vestigators who are seriously anxious to
reach the exact truth Of the matter. State
Treasurer Toffey and Major Anderson, the
State Comptroller, are sitting with the
Board They viii consent to see no man
stricken down by a band of conspirators
and they are sorely perplexed and annoyed
by the turn the investigation has taken.
a 49, -
had raked the Trenton hawdv bonses for
stories of open debauchery, and n dred
them into the ears of the convict women to
Oe ae'al ssa.s mi. .h cnangs o. places ana per-
proofs against the keeper s that even thew ',