New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-02
STATE PRISON SCANDALS.
SURPRISING FACTS BROUGHT OUT BY
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE


OF AUBURN. PLuNDERED THE PRISON ON BEEF
AND OTHER CONTRACTS - PROFITS ON
pp,sox WORK DELIBERATELY THROWN
.w.y- CoNvIcrs At DANNEMoRA
Under NO REsTRA1NT-AIloWED
TO GO OUT AND GET DRUNK
Albany. May 1.-The subcommittee OF the '',"'
legislative committee which was appoii''eu c"
ves,lrate the administration OF affairs IN .ne 80
rr,sons tho Forestry Commission. the Fish anu
Came commission. the Quarantine COMMISSION ..
49, cs.v NJ New-York the bureaus OF the factory
,nsnec,or Labor Statistics and Mediation ana Arpi-
tr,.ion. and the oyster Protector VIII sup''' 's'
go, tomorrow Senator Ki.burn is chairman
The committee spent most of It's time IN 'hNes's
ing state prisons. Regarding Auburn Prison 'ne IT,
port says: ,,,o,, hoe
man by the name Of Hiram ia Bs0f f,rhs f
aImost All OF the meat for this prison oihce s'
time he has furnished considerable por'On, oni,,
The evidence disclosed tnSt NJ: vas interested ex-
cmsively in the chair contract OF the piso 1o,n.v
Babcoc& was chairman OF me incsi democratic
political boss in the city of Auburn 81, ,rn,shed
pur faT an be PRISON he charged from As TO 81 cents
per pound. the latter price beng Una. "tandcd 10
s Sn b nTS the meat Which Mr. BabcOck furnished
the prison up about yea! ago was vas 81 arP Of the
forsnuarier known as plates and Ichucks pc, Te
that could not we'll be marketed 70 have pur-
he received for 1t a price when ought " ,a rono
nhased good forequar;er steer Deei wesnii n mos
p 70 Is pounds 4 'G BaSSoek vas this
mai he prison was being offered good %no,e QUAR-
quarters ro wesn To ,r cents i' per pound
IL appears by the evidence that aIn,U t If State
P g. under date Of July So ISIS calling ms ns at
tenton to the fact ira. War nrices il was offered
him al and expressing his opinion ina a. he pahcork
ring with Babcock and bonnp u ns5ependent OF
The b Nr anav and incosng Superintendent
copy BID which he had Ps a1 to lO furnish rs
foreouarters OF beef weighing from 80 70 bs ,t
pounds pc, per y q0aI' Governor s Flower
The tnstimony of Mr. Babcock shows tha1 N ar rne
fa 81 i Of scrap iron and brass together Wi,h
some ingot brass. for the sum or S'' .,mony this
sae scap iron and for from $40 to On S
that the scrap Srlssd INTO ngots By the prison
wttbou. cost 10 Mr.. Babcock. In the ian ~ a
NJ or horse d iGT he $ 80
a dozen, and his profit on them was ID" i"e'
were not pn,a rGr Of Harry NJ rst convict and
bookkeeper in the prison once, 70 a large
sum we're allowed to run without paym themselves
unreasonable tine when ne one balance against
s. b. woodruff agent amounting i iS @'0S' o. re-
msnng unpaid since ns StPention to the
industry in Aubrrn Prison h for Re year 1853
SHOWS profit IN this Industry Of ss s 30 1e ana 1891 %
the cast-iron Industry sslls 81 ror are ISL profit
IN the hojlow-ware industry. s2ss % ana ar 'n az
~ s xss9 IS j p4o 'Gr 's hollow
ware industry SIS s2s 49, and IN t vear of sss H.
pror io M ,SeSc industries were the con-
tract system In 1891 and 1892 the years OF nSt
large PrO snS 'ne hen wGrs W.T. during
the latter years they had shown npej and these
H ndasr ps0l nrned Hqpns of
baltimore which resulted in a practical wipihs out
all from npSe
In operating under the pece-price system EN- Sece
%sre So regulated as to make the work OF the
prisoners amount TO no more tnan ~ Tnsde AT 81
apiece amounting $50 and twenty a aTsie Of 6, g.
apiece a1nOuntng , to cs sna ne day for each
prisoner employed in making these ar hs esea
rom sns snm ss and ID added iF to the $
the price per day for each prisoner IN sub.
s The testimony Of Mr Baker clearly shows that
tracts is the exception rather than the rule IN
Clinton Prso ns at pannemora the
OF inquiry was confined almost exclusively TO ne
aes sTs al astonsbed at the state OF affairs existing
in this prison is but conveying faint ;aea OF ,ne
sented Prisoners wandering around ,he sfee ali
OF the village outside o. the prison SO ia , he
evening. unattended by any oficer, with no 70 ap,
Of the prson ofiicals away from prison.
times far SIX miles for pleasure or TO exercise
bah Outside the prison walls on Sunday and other
days going off to pick berries alone and unguarded
taking and going hunting long distances from
the prison. at times In citizens clothes. unaccom-
panied by any officer; numbers OF them sliding
down-hill In the evening for pleasure and recrea-
ton outside OF the prison walls. and at times
with the villagers; as many as hfteen sleeping night
after night In barn outside the prison walls
when there were plenty OF unoccupied cells: all
these. according to The testimony were matters
OF common. and We might almost say. daily. oc-
To provide for the pleasure entertainment.
amusement and happ.neFs OF the prisoner SO FAR
matter special endea The part OF the prison
authorities. Many OF the prisoners, II would seem.
are under little restraint official surveil-
lance going in and out of the yard at pleasure and
acting In the capacity Of trusted servants rather
than felons undergoing punishment for crimes
among the most serious known 10 the law. The
and purchase whskey and get intoxicatcd was
testified before the committee. While there was
been more or less laxy of discipline in this prison.
the preponderance Of evidence shows that 1t has
never been so marked ana extreme as IL mas under
the present warden.
We believe, however. that sufficient has been as
certained convince the most sceptical that the
prison authorities and specially the superin,end-
emit who is the responsible head have not
brought TO the discharge Of their duties that Do.
which their oath OF Office implies; that personal
favoritsm and political expediency have exer,sed
duties as 10 result in the unwarranted and unnec-
money and a destruction OF that degree OF dlsci-
pllne. which is universally recognized as absolutely
agement OF our prisons. under the present admin
istration is a matter for serious consideration and
a prolific field for investigation and correction.
General Austin Lathrop. the Superintendent OF
State Prisons In referring to the contents Of the
report. said:
..rbe report 0. the subcommittee the State
prisons is a mos; unfair statement and bears the
made 70 GET al the true facts but all effort was
made to get evidence tina. unexplained and urcon-
;radcted would reflect against the officials