Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-27
secure footing in Nevada remains to be
THE REVELATIONS IN NEW YORK

The exposition that New York Senate
Committee is now making of the iniqui-
ties of the Sheriff7s Office in the city of
New York is astounding. 1t seems i'm
possible that such outrages as are now
proved to have existed under the late ad-
ministration could go SO long undiscovered.
The Ludlow-street Jail appears to have
been perfect nest Of corruption. There
were employed in it half score of people
who had nothing whatever to do but to
draw their salaries, and some of them did
not even do that, but mad clerks to per-
form the Office for them. Others never
came near the Jail, even to report on duty.
Outside of these salaries revenue for pri-
vate purses was derived from extortionate
charges made upon prisoners for privileges
that really defeated the end of the law in
committing prisoners. A single instance
testified to will suffice to explain how the
thing was done. Charles G. Francklyn. a
civil prisoner, thus testified:
Question.-During the time you were supposed
to be in the Ludlow. street Jail, did you go out
Answer:-I went out every day but one.
Q-Where were you IL the habit OF going A
went to my counsel S office and stayed there all
day long until evening. On two occasions
went home and dined there with my wife and
family. On the other occasions / dined at a
restaurant somewhere and went back to Lud-
low street jail at $50 P. NJ.
Wv no accompanied you? A.-Two Deputy
Sheriffs, sometimes three.
Odd they dine with you? A.-Oh, yes
dined with them at the restaurant every time
we went there.
Q.-Who bought their dinners? Al did.
Q.-Did You dine well? Al dined as well
as L knew how.
Q.-Did you ever pay any compensation :?
A-Some arrangement was made by counsel
with Mr. Martin in the first instance that
should come down to my office every day.
Q.-Do you know what the arrangement was Z?
Al did not know at the time, but know that
they received sl00 day. That was paid each
day tor six days, or think it was eight alto
gether: The sum came to $3.50, think.
Odd you ever make any payments for
yourself in smaller sums? A.-Never.
Q:-That slo0 day was the consideration for
their services in attending you? Al under
stood that to be So
Corporation Counsel Clark asked Francklyn
II he was present when the arrangement was
was made at the office of his attorneys. By
whom he could no. say.
Then" said Mr.. Clark, further than what
they told you, you know nothing?'
except this" said Mr.. Francklyn, II know
tn It paid the money"
Nelson Hersh, reporter On the New York
Herald, told how, when under arrest from Febru-
airy 2lst to February 2ith, ne had paid ex-War-
Gen Heating $40 for permission to go out of Lud-
loW-street jail! and how, on the night of his ar
rest he went to the theater with McGonigal, and
paid him $40 for the privilege, besides buying
him a seat in the theater, several meals, aud
numerous drinks.
Thus it appears that prisoners sent to
Jail to be punished were allowed to roam
about the city SO long as they paid high
for the privilege, and the law was in this
way made means of lining the pockets
of underlings of the Sheriff7s office, in con-
sideration of which these leeches did
political service for the Tammany party in
primaries, caucuses and on election days.
Seven indictments have been found
already by the Grand Jury for this and
similar corruption, and the parties have
been arrested and will come to trial. The
Sheriff under whom these frauds were
practiced is now Mayor of New York
City, and it is easy to understand how he
could reach such position, since as
Sheriff he was a party to practices that
gave him an income of $4,000 a year of
tainted gold.