The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-06-14
The Jail and the ..Journal.''

ANONYMOUSLY kicked out of the Jail
which ne mismanaged is now using
his servile tools, q. K. Pangborn and
Cornelius H. Benson, and their cor
rupt paper to vilify and harrass
Colonel Toffey in the work Of reor-
g%anization and reform which has been
forced upon him. The task is doubly
congenial to the Journal because of
its old-time enmity for Colonel Toffey.
The fact that the wretched sheet has
been the recipient of countless favors
from the Sheriff during the last three
months does not serve to check its
malevolence. Gratitude is a failing
totally unknown to Dear, Pangborn
and Benson. Their natural alliance
is with Davis, Hufty Sullivan and
other gentlemen of that species. For
honest men like Colonel Toffey and
Mayor Wanser they have no use, even
though belonging to their own nomi-
nal party.
For nearly two years the Jail was in
the hands of Robert Davis. 1t was
run purely and solely for the profit of
that individual. An organized sYs-
tenn of blackmaiI was conducted. of
which all prisoners who had a little
money were the victims. The Jail
and the Court House were kept in an
indescribable condition of disorder
and filth. 1t is only necessary to re-
fer TO the public denunciation of their
condition by Foreman George L.
Record, of the last Grand Jury, for
verification of the facts. The Jail was
insuficientlv and ineficiently guard
ed. Escapes were not infrequent and
other abuses were rife. Add to this
the outrageous insults heaped on
Christian ONE visiting the prison
ers to exhort them and pray with them
and we havea condition of nialadmin-
istration which it would be hard to
surpass. Ugt fN-A
Now, it is to be presumed that
Sheriff Toffey expects some compen-
sation for conducting the Jail. 1t is
preposterous to think all the addi-
tional work and responsibility could
be placed upon his shoulders without
some adequate increase in the emolu-
ments of his office. Buff the Sheriff
continues to receive the same rate of
pay for conducting the Jail that has
been paid to Davis and other jailers,
he is certain to realize out of it a
much smaller sum than any OF his
predecessors. The Sheriff has more
than doubled the force of keepers,
turnkeysa and w~atchinenI He has al
ready spent a large sum on cleaning
up the Jail, and he guarantees to
keep it clean and wholesome and free
from verinin. Finally, he has
pledged his word to feed the prison
ers like human beings, plainly but
sufficiently and whoiesomely, and he
will totally stop all extortion OF fees
by hallmen and keepers for such ia
vors as a glass of ice water or transfer
from a cell rendered uninhabitable by
vermin. In other words, Sheriff
Toffey guarantees to run the Jail,
pocket, but as a public institution,
contenting himself with a very small
percentage of the money spent as
compensation for his trouble and risk.
Not only has the Sheriff guaranteed
TO do this, but, Furthermore. he has
actually SO far done it.
To point out all the misstatements
and falsehoods in the Journals articles
in detail, would take a space equal to
the articles themselves. For instance,
it is alleged that Sheriff Toffey was
the instigator of the bill which turned
over the Jail to the custody of the
Sheriff. This is a distinct untruth.
The bill was the direct result of The
JERSEY CITY N Ews' exposure of the
abuses of Davis management. 1t was
originally introduced in the Legis-
lature of 1893, and was there defeated
through Davis influence.
Another misstateinent is that the
County taxes are likely to be higher
this year. On the contrary, the pros
poets are that there will be a con-
siderable reduction.
Again the misleading comparison is
instituted that prisoners are fed at
Snake Hill for 81 cents a head, where
as the County pays so cents for those
in the Jail. In the first place. it
should be remembered the 81 cents at
Snake Hill inclades none OF the cost
of running the P~enitentiary. The
Warden, keepers and all other officials
have to bs paid Independently. On
the contrary, Sheriff Tofrey has to
pay all his own help out of 30 cents
head. But, secondly, The prisoners
ut Snake Hill are %convicts. whereas
the majority of those in the Jail ore
simply waiting trial or are held under
civil process. surely the letter are
entitled to somewhat BETTER food and
treatment than the former. JttIi is true
they never got it from Davis, but we
believe Colonel Tofsy proposes te
give 1t to them. Howe yer. the I'M
oortant point to Bear In mind is thai
the county docs not pay 80 cents .