New-York tribune., 1903-06-07
PRISONERS 'SLEUTHING" THEIR KEEPERS.
SMART DETECTIVE WORK CAUSES 4 BIG SHAKEUP
At DANNEMORA

drug. Il was grossly aduiteratsd with dirt and
worth only fraction Of what he had paid for IT
II required weeks to learn who vers the guards
who were thus smuggling opium into the prison.
At first he could not procure the dope from the
mysterious outsider who traded IN the drug. but
only at third fourth hand By carefully guard
ing against suspicion he finally traced the drug 20
certain prison officials and then bought ths stur
from them personally. BY the help OF the detso-
tive guards the whole system was exposed n de-
tail A prisoner would go TO a guard and say;
'I want to write friend for money"
But that's against the rules would be the an
swer.
That's all right: want to get some dopss I'll
fix Il with you all right"
The guard wouId then take the letter and mail
it, When the reply came the guard got some OF
the money, and after he would pass over
ball of dope TO the criminal The outsider
would buy a pound Of opium for about - %.
mix il with dirt, and sell ten pills OF Il for z
cents apiece. BY this means the Original pound
was sold for much So. The profits for the
smuggling guards were thus more thar 1000 per
cent
Several times during the three months incarcera-
ton Of the detectives their lives were In danger.
A stray word their identity would have
meant death. A convict hates PinkertOn man
a jaguar hates his captor. Had the word gone
round that two Pinkerton men were acting as spies
among them. there might not have been a sudden
murder. but by some Underhanded method they
would have fallen the victim. OF knife or poison
II have always wanted TO get next q Pink"
said one grayhaired fellow, serving third term.
to the spy convict day in the tin shop. They
have sent me up every time. They've a scent Ike
q hound and they don't let go till they've got you
by the teeth"
What would you do?'' asked the detective
Kill en-" was the grim answer
"If it had been known said superintendent
Collins yesterday that Pinkerton detectives were
at work in Clinton Prison the convfcts would have
murdered them They were brave fellows to under
go what they did No men are so much hated as
s. the Pin by Of eha @ ad Specially so
In order to learn if the medical department or
convict pretended to he sick and was taken TO the
hospital Another was placed in q dark cell for
tied by, the physician of the prison every day as
The tedium Of prison life wears so upon the
nerves Of SONS conviets that they crave drugs
which will stupefy. When they cannot obtain
opium or morphine it was diseoyeTed by tn the de- de-
maSqueraG1ns as a guard succeeded at IasI IN
getting friendly terms not only with mis- fellow
officials. but also with some OF the most hardened
PslSoliS[S =, l.s ne 'ie ,it 1s Jyt s(t l''S N1i
Well. If I can't get dope, I'll take tea"
But You cant get enough sleep out OF that.
Tea amt as good as hitting the pipe chew
ing the stuff. Il don't make feller dream he's
knock out the lonesome feeling
i've heard so" said the detective guardedly.
I've smuggIed it in for the boys; but I don't uI-
deTstand why you Ike it
answer. IF you take enough OF the stuff it'n
make you float around in the air almost the same
investigation soon proved that a great quantity
of green was being SmuggIed into the prison.
and that the guards we're prOhtins as they did in
the opium traffic
When the superintendent had obtained sufficient
information regarding the way Clinton Prison
masquerade couvicts was removed in a way
cite suspicion whatsoever among his former
associates. Word went around that he going
TO be taken away. and in answer to inquiries he
said:
Have got to go Sing Sing The transfer off,
is here with subpoena Have got
along and testify at muroer trial in the southern
part of the State
Soon after he was handcufred and led away.
Superintendent summoned the official he suspected
and confronted him with the detectives. reports
He heard the testimony of fifty guards and keepers
and OF thirty-fve COnvicts- Guards and conviots
amazed by what they heard. and were forced
to admit that che superintendents evidence
true
Superintendent Collins afterward announced the
resignation OF keeper, the resignation OF a guard
and the resignation Of q stOrekesper; the suspen-
sion OF keeper and the dismissal CT a keeper and
of guard The principal keeper was transferred
RefOrnatory at NapanOch The transfer OF the
principal keeper to Napanoch.'' said Superfnten-
dent Collins. is for the good Of the service. No
charge Of dishonesty was made against him. ard
no dishonesty on his part has been discovered
The exposure OF graft" and other irregular
tiles at DannemOra IS regarded by the guards
and convtcts of the other State prisons as only
a forerunner TO other disclosures. They believe
that PiDkertOn men have also been among them
and a few may be anxOusly listening for some
thin to drop"