New-York tribune., 1896-06-04
SHERIFF TAMSEN.

.Iudlow Street Jail, etc. was resumed in the old
,s,one courthouse In City Hall Park yester-
day. ,,, , ~. ,a h
- heen @ civil prisoner in Ludlow Street jail. He
No. ~ o.dins notice that had been posted on the wall
~. dov The notice was 70 the effect that pris-
.,., who was III must not leave his cell and must
'. ,sd an bread and water until the doctor came.
=. ,.sner named Buchanan came up while the wit
o.. uas reading the notice and roughly dragged
It,, .wav Isaacs told the Sheriff that Buchanan
h,d broken the law by bringing whiskey into the
,n ard selling IT, The witness threatened TO bring
.ss matter to the attention OF the DstrictAttorney
s,d the Grand Jury. The assault upon the witness,
n. said took place on December CO.
Tb.re was he added. a general good time IN
N. fail on New Years eve. Whiskey flowed freely
md several prisoners were "exhilarated." Nearly
Ill Of the prisoners who took part In the jubilee were
vr prisoners There were some United States
,,oners Keepers Roach and Bennett were pres
N. The prisoners were permitted 10 assemble in
room on the second floor Of the Jail. known as the
f,,ne-room Fifteen or twenty prisoners were in
the room
The witness testified II told the Sheriff that the
tn had a good Warden. but poor lot of keepers.
One prisoner who asked for glass of water was
abused said once that officer who could not
syern himself was not fit TO govern others. Keeper
Bennett was exhilarated. He and Roach talked with
M. and was asked TO make no charges. The War
a.n was called up but before ne arrived the liquor
was put ou, Of sight. l am certain that saw one
bottle I; was put in closet. think ! did not
drink any OF the whskey / went into the keepers
room but walked right out again. There were
rpeeches at the celebration The Warden made a
fine speech. Other speeches were made. some good
and some not good. Stiner and Busch and other
prisoners had liquor that was hoisted into the room
with a line. There an organ In the room
Roach tried 10 play IT. but did not recognize the
alleged tunes Bennett also tried TO play. but made
an almost total failure.
The witness imprisoned because he did not
pay debt Of s.. He said
Il was a civil prisoner in every sense. made
charges Of misconduct against keepers. told the
Sheriff what had happened In the jail cannot
How was the whiskey drawn UP with a lne?"
was asked OF the witness. and he replied:
tached by person outside The bottle was
drawn up and into the prison.
marx in the iail that was going for higher game
than keepers Neither did | make such remark
out o. jail" He testified that the Sheriff did dis
miss Keepers before he the witness) made COM
plant He told Of several occasions when he saw
. wh,sksy in the jail Once he took a little him; !;
ninety days He had seen prisoners intoxicated or
feeling G happy & In deposition signed by witness
used The witness did not know the meaning Of
ASSISTANT Attorney General Hasbrouck made an
Intellectual attempt to ascertain the occupation Of
the witness. The latter said: II will tell you
privately but not publicly" The question was not
further pressed
General B. F. Tracy counsel for the Sheriff.
asked lsaacs TO detail the instances in which he
had seen whiskey used in the Jail The witness re-
iterated some Of his former testimony and added:
Il did not make any complaint to the Warden
un,l after January /. I whiskey in different
rooms. Ii hidden away. / include prisoners
rooms. One man paid g for liquor. At least.
saw a letter in which such was stated TO be the
fact"
The next witness William +. Gray, who
testified that when he inmate OF Ludlow
Street Jail ne paid for his meals He In jail
three months and had whiskey several times The
whlskey was not handed 10 him. IL left in
bottles in his CELL where he found II under mat
tress To pay for II he left money under the ma
tress. The liquor came In talf-pint TASKS.
The hearing was adjourned till 10 a. m. to-day