The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-07-07
Bob Davis and His Jail.

Without allowing ouf aDno rrence
of Robert Davis, as a political boss,
to color our views in any way, we de-
sire to devote a few brief words to a
consideration of his standing as a
public official. He has now been
keeper of the Jail of this county for a
little more than a year, and the facts
regarding his stewardship are begin
ming to be known. The question be-
fore the people is mainly as to wheth-
er the present system should not be
abolished altogether, and the Jail
placed under direct charge of the
Board of Freeholders, like the Peni-
Tertiary at Snake Hill.
During the year of Davis incumb-
ency, eight escapes from the Jail
have become known to the public. 1t
is darkly limited that several others
have been successfully concealed.
The reason of these frequent escapes
is said to be the insufficiency of the
force. But if the force is insufficient,
1t is only so because Mr.. Davis will
not spend the money to make it Ell
Gent. Mr.. Davis contracts with the
county to run the Jail for what there
is in it. He employs all the turn
keys and other help. The ever he
employs, the larger the profit he
makes out of his contract. Here,
then, both Mr.. Davis and the system
are to blame. Mr.. Davis abuses the
farming-out system for his W gain;
but if the farming.out system were
abolished, the abuse would be i'm
possible.
MI. Davis has been further ar
raigned for conniving at a wholesale
system of ~extortion practised upon
prisoners who happen to have any
money. He has not himself denied
that a class of favored prisoners de-
tailed to act as hallmen, orderlies and
deputy turkeys are permitted to levy
blackmail upon their fellow unfor-
Inmates as compensation for the
smallest and most necessary services.
There is in public evidence a case
where one of these sub-sharks ex-
torted fifty cents for a drink of water,
and Davis has admitted that OF
these pet Jail birds made 5000 in a six
months term of confinement. There
is an absence of evidence that
Davis receives any percentage OF
the money thus levied; but there can
be no doubt but he profits by the
plan of turning rogues loose in this
way to prey on the prisoners. He
saves by doing SO the salaries he
would otherwise have to pay to re-
spectacle men to do the necessary
work of the jails.
OF the other rumors at hand about
the institution, it can only be said
that they are somewhat vague. 1t
is rumored that whiskey and other
contraband articles are struggled into
the Jail, and there have been charges
of religious discrimination. 1t is not
necessary to GO into these, nor is there
ground ON which to do it profitably.
On the two broad charges of insecur.
ity and extortion. however, there is
ample room for the Grand Jury to
pick the whole state of things to
pieces, and there is all the reason they
can possibly demand for the Free
holders to suspend Davis; abolish the
fee system, place the Jail under ap-
preparation like any other county in
stitution, appoint a competent staff
of officers, including a warden whose
time will be entirely devoted to its
supervision and not for the most part
to political conspiracies and "busi-
ness" enterprises Of a semi-political
character. 1t is beyond all doubt
that the Jail is now the rottenest
branch of the county government,
and it is high time there was a reform
in 1t.
THE State Gazette strongly recon-
mends the election of Henry Stafford
Little as Senator McPherson's sue
cessor.