The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-06
TEE JAIL MANAGEMENT
Bob Davis's Utter Indif-
ference and Incompet-
encY Plainly Manifest.
NOT FIT FOR TIE POSITION.
His Income More Than Sufficient
to Secure Proper Pros
tection.

Bob Davis was appointed Jailsr by the
Board of Fresholders on July 16, 1891. or
almost year before he entered upon the
duties of his Office. He filed his bond on
March IL, 1892, and on April l, 1892. Jailer
Birdsall departed from the jail and Bob
Davis began his duties as Birdsall's sue
cessor.
Judging from the numerous complaints
that have been made during the fifteen
months that Davis has been in charge Of
the jail, his administration has been
very bad one. 1t has been openly charged
that prisoners are supplied with whiskey
when visited by their friends, and that
the spectacle of a drunken prisoner in a
cell is of common occurr ence. 1t has
also been charged that extortion from
prisoners is permitted and encouraged in
the Jail under the mana ge ment of Davis.
In fact Davis openly boosted in an inter-
view which appeared recently In The
JERSEY CITY NEWS that one of the hall
men appointed by him had made more
than $500 by extortiou while he was serV-
ing six months term as u prisoner.
ESCAPES FROM JAIL.
There have been many other charges
against the manner in which the Jail is
conducted by Davis, which have at diff
ferent times appeared in The NEWS, but
the most serious of all Is the innumer-
able escapes that have taken place
from the jail since Bob Davis has been
jailer. There have been eight escapes in
the past fifteen months, which Davis has
| been compelled to make public, but how
many more prisoners than this have de-
feated justice by walking out of the Jail
is only known TO the iailor and his sub
ordinates. 1t may be that their has been
no more. but from the reluctance with
which the information was given in the
eight cases that have been brought to the
attention of the public by The NEWS
| there is much room for suspicion.
AS an illustration Of the manner in
| which prisoners walk out of the jail
| when tired OF the society of Bob Davis,
| reference need only be made 10 the es.
cape OF Lee Scott and Frederick Pope on
| Saturday. In broad daylight these men,
who were engaged in carrying water to
| lot of female prisoners who were clean
| ing the Court House, dropped their water
pals and departed for ports unknown.
Davis, when notified of their departure,
| simply informed the police and requested
the recapture of the fugitives. Superin-
| teudent Smith has made some ab-
| suld rules since he has been a5
| the head Of the Police force, and among
| them is one forblddinR news to be given
to reporters. Therefore, when Davis did
| not make public the escape of the two
| men, and the police under Superiuten-
dent Smith dared not, the flight remained
a secret until Wednesday, when a NEWS
! reported was. by accident, informed OF 1t.
The reporter asked Bob Davis if the re-
| port of the escape was true, and with
much reluctance the Jailer admitted i1
| WAS The only excuse he offered was
| that he did not have men enough to watch
| the prisoners.
JAILER DAVIS FAT INCOME.
Bob Davis makes more than 10000 a
year clear of all expenses as jailer and il
he has not men enough to safely keep the
| prisoners intrusted TO his care IL is simply
due TO his parsimony. He should em-
ploy more keepers His profits are cer-
| tainly great enough to permit this.
Eight escaped prisoners IN fifteen
months means more than one escape
every two months. A man today at the
Court House said there was no possible
excusef for such negligence; and under
no one but most thoroughly corrupt or
careless and incompetent jaller could
| such condition exists in the County
| Jail This man said thot during the
term OF Jailer Birdsan not half that
number of persons escaped. tt seems
| to be the conseuses OF opinion that DAVIS
| should ill his position better than
| he has been doing. or else the Freehold
| ers should remove him and place in
cHsrge competent man. Eo5 more than
one man in a year succeeds in escaping
| from the Penitentiary, for under tha
management of Warden Grimes every
one in the Penitentiary does his duty and
| the prisoners are constantly watched. 1t
| Warden Grimes can safely keep his pris-
| oners, men convicted OF the worst crimes,
and incarcerated in such an isolated
place as sake Hill. certainly Bob Davis
| can offer no excuse for escapes from the
| jail, which is in the heart of the city and
| facing the most popular thoroughfare IN
! it, besides being surrounded by polices
men who are day and night on duty.
THE FREEHoLDERS SHOULD ACT.
Davis has proved himself TO be an in
! competent official, and il the Freenold-
| ers do not lenove him, it may be t hat
| his bondsmen will ask to be relie eyed
| from further responsibility. Each o I the
| bondsmen are responsible to the State
| for the escape of the prisoners. Some
| day District Attorney Wiudeld may be-
come weary of learning that men he had
| convicted of crime. after long and ardu-
| Gus lahors. have opened the jail door and
| walked away, and when this day does
come it will be hot one for Bob Davis.