New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-26
THEESCAPE DUE TO POLITICS..
DEMOCRATIC WORKERS LARuELi IN
STALLED AS PRISON OFFICIALS.
A r>rE\DY DETERIORATION IL THE QUALITY OF
KEEPERS AND wAEDENS SINCE s'Ph''"'
TESDENT BAKER WAS DISPLACED
BY GOVERNOR I'LL.
-o.s rur prcf.1 Ia 1oanrsroNnrNI OF LIE INlDCN

TENDENT BAKER WAS DISPLACED
BY GOVERNOR HILL.
ynoM THE REGULAR coRREsroSnENT OF TIE TRIBUNE
nny. April c4.-Thc es,np" Of TIE muidciers r"'-
lister AM Rpchl from sing sing Prison In consequence
Of the incompetence, or worse than incompetence VI
the keepers Of that Institution viii not s'rp'Se 'hS'
who have been Observing the gradual deterioration J"
the quality If tho men appointed Keepers sihe 'ao
V. Baker. Republican. 81 CoInstocRS ""S''''
County deprived Of his office by Governor i'i''
and Austin Lahrop. OF Corning. stcubch county, "a'
appointed in his place
Mr.. Lathrop was successful business man: ana
in far as the Stat" prisons have required a"i's !"
the direction OF the large amount OF Manufacturing
business they now yearly perform. he has breh sue
Bat even his friends would not deny 'ha' ~ "''
submitted at the dciaon Of Edward MURPHY j."
william F. Sheehan. Roswell p. Flower anu o'h'r
Democratic leaders. 10 changes In the waiu'hS ana
keepers which have had an exceedingly unfortunate
effect upon the discipline and management Of the prs
ons Political appointments exclusively nave ocV'
made. mans fitness for his place rs Keeper OF
warden has had nothing TO do with his appointment
II he could control The Democratic primaries oil So'r
county, govern the action Of some member Oh IN"
Democratic state Committee, he appointed II not
he rejected
Warden Brown al sing sing Prison. was appoih''i
to succeed A. A. Brush Republican. who had managed
the prison with honor 10 the state for many years
Why was Mr.. Brown appointed Because II was
thought II would enable the AntiClevcand Democracy
Of Orange County to overcome at the primaries 'h'
Cleveland Democrats. who In Tho majority MI
Brown lived in Ncwburg Orange Comfy and was sup
posed TO great influence IN that city ana through
ont Orange County. As soon he was appointed ne
began to oust faithful prison officials from their pot
and put in their places inefficient men recommended
by the Democratic leaders. The prison discipline was
relaxed. Men who had pull with Ed' MURPHY
and owed their appointment TO him naturally ala NOT
fear dismissal II they did not obey the orders OF war
den Brown Naturally. sing sing Prison has suffered
also in its business mana cement under these condi-
lions and whereas Auburn Clinton last year wcr,
self sustaining by OF the labor OF the convcS
I'm the manufacturing department. sing sing Prison
was conducted al loss.
No one here doubts that Rochl and rallls'er eS
capcd because the warden and keepers OF sing sihS
were selected exclusively for political reasons
Warden browns administration has been such a
failure that recently Governor Flower had suirrih'
tendent Lathrop transfer Warden Durston. OF Auhur
10 sing Sing Prison. Warden Brown ua' p'rn't'"
10 resign his Office, but it is well known here hat he
was forscd out. A. for Mr.. Durson. h" was also
forced leave Auburn Prison, because his pac. was
desired by another Murphy >h"chan-flow"r r'an'
| named james G. Stout. This Wa unjust 10 VT
Dnrston. because he had made Auburn Prison self
sustaining and, from business POINT OF View. the
hes, managed OF the State prisons.
But even Mr. Durston had suffered from political
appointments forced upon hin. one OF his keepers
| IL will bc remembered few months ago p'Fim''cr
DIVER Curtis Perry. the notorious railway IRAN ron
Der. 10 get out Of his CELL and Perry nearly ESCAPED
from the prison. Under Mr.. siouts management
doubtless. Auburn Prison VIII =" show"r"d WIN
political appointments. AT least mat j. me "Ni',u
| lion Of the politicians IN the Stat" capital AI.
! stout has had "Npri"nr" Whatever III pIl,,'nt
management. 1t IS understood that ne was npi"s,n~"
warden ~ n reward for hl, deserving Nj. 'lrvc-
land year ago, Just before the Democrat Ma
! tional Convention. $1,000. !.
| Clinton Prison has also been "r"organiz' g. ~
politicians. Warden Fuller was r'moNro, an" n,,, in
Ter ~ Thaycr. a labor agiiatar Of Iryi was Ply III
his place. Mr. Thsycr. Of course. filed 'hnon
Prison with henchmen 81 Edward MURPHY IT, Iron,
Troy. one Of these new " guard "'H 't.Is,,?'.-
soon after his appointment with The care oil " ''i ~
| Tho liking Of thc bunco men The county "i NJ
bany had expended several Thousands o. dollars IN
| sending England for o'Hrien snd ori.Uhe LII .
back 10 the United states and then In trNhE hla
| convicting him. Legal proceedings Tor MS El'ms'
were begun at Utca before nitsa ,IawS -"s
at this hearing heforr jndg" t.xc p"l naIu1 a =
| Thaycr consigned him 10 the care 81 the ne" Ruaru
ind o Brcn "~cnped as might hnv" 'h 'Np'T,,s =,
'Thc guard" ,Ook him To Iiica. but 'h"r KAY MN
Gated one night. awokc in the morning !" oisc"vcF
| that O'Brfen had escaped Yet Warden Iha."r WIS
| NOT removed lie was virtually appointed by S'nh
| Tor Murphy man who Stands by his friends
The state Prison management "i N'.ss ',u'pi ~
| Flower and Shcchan thus Stands convicted IN we
| public eye 81 having permitted the escape "l '"99
| condemned murdcr"rs. Ro"hl and Paihs''r nmu %.
| The greatest confidence man III Am"rc1. . b;i"n
and OF nearly having suffered The release "f "hVrr
Curtis Perry the chief Of railway robbers .'Il
tba nolticai appointments continue 10 De made. War.
den stout will have TO make them. and 50 VIII
warden Dursion when he takes chnre" OF sing sing.