Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-06-01

Police Commissioner York was the
first witness called. Mr.. York submit
ted records of the police department
which he had been subpoencd to produce
The witness had not heard that a
special order had recently been issued
by Chief Devery. drawing the special
attention Of the police commanders to
complaints Of law breaking as publish
ed in newspapers. Nh York said such
an order might have been issued. but
he had not seen it. Mr.. Moss question
ed Mr.. York at considerable length re
garding the policy Of the police com
mssioners toward concert halls
Nothing remarkable was elected.
Two detectives employed by Mr.. Moss
testified To witnessing violations of the
excise law in the concert halls. last
Sunday night. Mr.. Moss said that he
had received a large number of COM
plants from sailors and soldiers who
had been robbed in such places on the
BoWery. He did not wish to crowd the
records with indecent testimony. but if
id became necessary Mr.. Moss said he
would enlighten the police as to all de-
tails regarding the concert halls as he
had enlightened them regarding the
pool rooms.
Mr. Moss then began an investigation
Of the Tombs prison. He called War
den James J. Hagan of that institu-
ton. Hagan admitted that a woman
taken from a respectable homes ac-
cusei Of shoplifting ana awaiting trial.
would have to associate with the wo-
men taken from the vilest resorts. sHe
1 4,
conditions He said he had allowed
Mrs. Fayne Moore and Mrs. Louise
Nerumille to remain in their cells in
stead of prOmenading with the other
prisoners. He had been criticised for
doing this and had decided that he
would do it for no other prisoner. So
when another prisoner, Mrs. Howard,
asked him for the same privilege of
staying in her cell he refused her.
Commissioner of Prisons Lantry. how
ever. had interceded on Mrs. Howard's
behalf. and the warden allowed her to
remain in her cell.
Mrs. Ruth Howard testified to being
in the Tombs eight or nine weeks.
She said the food was handled by the
stripes" or workhouse women prison
ers. She described the stripes" as be
ing very dirty. She had been denied
hot water to battle in by the matron
Of the Tombs. She said some of the
women prisoners used frightful Ian
guage. fought among themselves and
told most disgusting stories. Mrs.
Howard swore that the sheriff who
took her from the Tombs to the crimi-
nal court insulted her. putting his arm
around her waist and calling her his
darling Ruth She saw other women
similarly treated. Other women who
had been imprisoned in the TOmbs cor
robOrated Mrs. Howard.
Summing up the testimony, Mr.. Moss
said: The main point Is the hardship
which Is imposed upon innocent per-
sons waiting trial. 1t Is one of the de-
fects of the system which has gone
back of this administration. but it Is
one Of the things that ought to be at
tended to-"
Roger Sheedy, receiving clerk of the
Old Dominion Steamship Co, testified
that wishing to become a policeman,
he had been taken by Policeman Dugan
to a man named Hart, In the liquor
business, and at Dugan's suggestion
had given Hart S400 to secure him pO-
sitlon on the force. An Indictment
against Hart for these matters had
been dismissed. Mrs. Sheedy corrobo-
rated her husbands statement. She
had gone, yesterday. to police head
quarters but an Inspector had told her
denied all the charges.