New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-18
THE SHERIFF TESTIFIES.
HOW HE RAN THE LUDLOW STREE
JAIL
WITNESSES TESTIFY TO HIS GOOD CHARACTER
THE DISGUISE or THE POST
OFFICE ROBBERS.

THE DISGUISE or THE POST
OFFICE ROBBERS
\ lar.a portion OF Yesterdays ser'ion OF sAsi.ii
Tan1se.i's trail was taken up in giving the ceiehh-
ant a clean bill o. character. The witnesses WIZ
testified in this line were Oswald Ottendorfer anu
/ Herman Ridder. william S;einway ex-Mayor WIZ,
lam r. Grace ex-Mayor Smith Ely. J. Eiwaru
Simmons Controller Fitch and Jacob RI. Schiit'
There was also some favorable testimony rega'u-
Ing the character o. Keeper McCabe -
John NJ Nagel hotelkeeper. and Ed"aru -
/ Carpenter told OF Keeper Schoens excellent rep"
ton.
/ Charles I.utz the sheriffs auctioneer' identneu
/ letter he had written TO Sheriff Tamsen recon-
mend!ng the appointment OF Warden Raaoe.
w J. Roe. present Warden OF Ludlow Street jan
said that un.ess prisoners were In solitary co'''
ment If was practically impossible to keep Fedora.
prisoners from conversing with civil prisoners "''
/ IT was practically impossible to prevent sma !
articles from being brought surreptiticusly INTO 'e
jail. Prisoners allowed to have their '"sh >
brought into the Jail 1t was unsafe. he thouS'''
for a keeper mingling with the prisoners to carry
pistol upon his person
Sheriff Hansen then took the stand. lie gave h'9
age as forty-s.x years and his birthplace hamDalE
Ge-manv He came 10 this cctntry IN 1859 HIS
business has been that OF a bookseller and puolis"e
and banker. When elected Sheriff he had chose"
Charles F. MacIean his counsel previous ~
making his appointments In Ludlow street 'a'- i"
had consulted with his coInseL Witness hau "p
pointed Warden Raabe his own knowledge OF
the man. and upon the recomnier cation OF the lAA-
PAYERS Association. Witness had known RaaDe
as a member OF a Masonic lodge and as the fresi-
dent OF the United Rife Association Raaoe hau a-s'
been the editor Of paper called "The "oou rei
low" When witness appointed Raabe ne peHe'e'
him to be fully competent 10 discharge the DUTIES
OF Warden OF Ludlow Street jail. He mad never
heard anything Rabies dscreiii prior TO ihe
escape OF the prisoners Keepers Schneer ana Nc
Cabe were in office wher witness became snerln'
and were reappointed upon the recommendation ol
a. number Of men in whom ne placed the greatest
confidence He hesltated sti,. as he knew there was
a nublic demand for A clean sweep in the Jai. but
he finally decided keep some Of the old ana eN-
perenced employees. he declared 1t would ne uh-
wise and dangerous To have all new men IN ule
iai. He had reapponted four out OF the seven
keepers he found in the jail. and had heard nothing
10 their detriment until after the escape OF the
prisoners All Of the four had been recommended to
him by good and influential people. Keeper Schoen !
appointment had beer in no sense political. witness
believed at the time tina; the four keepers were
fu ~ competent for their positions.
Witness hal believed the rules to be in all re
spects complete He gave the rules TO Warden
Raabe and called his attention 10 which pro-
yded tina: any violation OF the rules would be fol-
lowed by dismissal. He had instructed the Warden
that whenever any question arose he should con-
suit the lawyer employed 10 be constantly IN 're
jan and should telephone TO the Sherifs Office He
had told Raabe that he should not admit any one
TO see a United States prisoner without an order
from the United States Marshal Keeper McCaDe.
who was present, had said that the order was IN
Necessary as such had always been the rule in the
iail Witness first heard OF the shaving Of the
Postoffice robbers through the newspapers. he
made a personal investigation in the jail. He had
heard a report that the Warden had received tele-
phone message from the Marshals office. asking
that no change be permitted in the appearance OF
the prisoners This report reached witness after
the mischief Of the shaving had been done W.T.
ness asked Raabe to the truth OF the statements
in the morning papers. that the prisoners had Deen
shaved Raabe replied that the prisoners had
shaved themselves with a broken penknife, concealed
in the shirtband of OF them
When witness asked the prisoner how he mad got
the knife blade, the prisoner replied that ne ma"
been able conceal II despite the search OF me
United States Marshal The prisoner said that he
had partially shaved himself in the cab while being
taken 10 the Marshars Office, and that nobody
could have prevented him from doing It. Inc
prisoner had finished the shaving after he got 70
the jaM Witness had been satisfied with the re-
suit of the shaving and had afterwaro secured the
sworn statement OF McCabe and the other keep
ers which had put In evidence by the prosecu-
ton. though he would have put them In himsel
Of his keepers and that he had refused IT, bur
did eosdsE that r. a fOr pfsoneTs u MIN
close confinement and to keep them so as long IS
they there, and not 10 alo" theiI u0"lls.a'.
or OF their cells and to assign one Keepe,
keep a sharp lookout upon them haaoe quess tsoIt
WITNESSES right to issue such orders Raabe though
oners acquitted. Witness told kaabe that NJ
(ramsen) would take all such responspihty' anu
the morning Raabe tod MN una me w VI tbe
prisoners they were In the reception-room, sur
rounded by United States Deputy Marsnais VINO
about to take them to the court ineir naf b,
were dirty and Of them had pruise on ms
face which was said to have been self-lnnicted lor
heiT ci
presented entirely different appearance ron
what they did when he had frst seen nns' d"pieh
that he had said that he did not mind criticism OF
his actions. the conduct OF the jail VINES 80
prisoners that his orders had been disobeyed by te
Warden and keepers. He ala not KNOW that M ne.
card PLAYING for none II the Se a Or had he
known that visitors were permitted 10 see .le 81
capped prisoners without passes from the Ia bc
.Eight-and-twenty' visitors permitted TO see the
prisoners by the Marshal IL was lInposslo'e i hOg
70 eve-y keeper there. by the ringing OF the doot-
bell This gave ample opportunity for eyerytnlrs
to be put in hrst-class order before the uoof was
The direct examination OF Sheriff Tamsen occu-
MED over an hour and half and II was CLOCK
when District Attorney Fellows began the cross,
sxamjnation The Sheriff said in answer TO Colonel
Fellowss inquiries that he had nrSt hearo OF tie
sha wing episode on June me W aruen us o,hay
day Witness said he had not been accustommeu 70
visit the jail daily. He had visited II maybe ten
or twelve times in five months.
Al his point and while counsel were in wrangie
over biz OF testimony the Court called attention 20
the fact that the hour for c mac the
taking of testimony YESTERDAY afternoon IL t"e
Court could keep General Tracy quet, .,
That s rather too difficult an ufdertakint "a %
the Judge and adjournment was taken until lV''o
O'Clock this morning.