Evening journal., 1904-01-27
WARDEN MESERVE
IS NOT GUILTY
Charges Made by Former
Guard Howard Not Sub
stantiared by Facts
HAVE CONFIDENCE IN OFFICIAL

Trustees Satisfied That He Is Per.
fectly Competent to Conduct the Al
fairs of the County workhouse.
Hearing Open to the Public.
Chief Warden A. s. Moserve OF tho
New Castle county workhouse, wal
exoneratod at an Investigation held by
the Board OF Trustees yesterday after
noon, Of the charges made against him
by Franklin G. Howard. a former
guard. The hearing was held at the
institution and lasted from 100 o'clock
until nearly 3. After all evidence had
been heard on both sides the five trus-
tees held short private session to|
consider what action should be taken.
IN about ten minutes J. Frank Ball,
secretary of the board, gave out the
following statement TO the reporters:
The Board of Trustees having fully
heard and considered the evidence Of
fered in relation to the charges pre-
ferred by Franklin c. Howard. eN-
night guard, against Warden Meserve.
find the charges not sustained in any
particular and the board fully eNonor-
ates Mr.. AIeserve and declares its ut
lAl0rA NNiAl4iAAN" ~ AAic AlAfHAAAeH I'A~
esty and management of our institu-
= ton.
! The investigation was public and in
= addition TO those ilrectly interested o
number Of other persons were present
; including Frank Stout. agent for the
= Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty
e to Children; Levy Court Commissioner
-. c. Candy Hopkins and Chief OF Police
D Black. Nj. Howard with his counsel
Howell s. England. was one Of the
S first 20 arrive at the workhouse. The
e entire Board OF Trustees were present.
e They are :. Newln Gawthrop. presi-
h dent: ]. Frank Ball. Joseph L. Car
penter. j.. Daniel ". Corbit and
George G. Kerr.
n Previous to the meeting Mr.. Meserve
1 asked the hoard to allow him 10 defend
o himself AMI to be tried before them as
a jury and requested that they should
; not defend him.
II Howard presented no written charges
Il but said statements that had appeared
i in the Sunday star and reported to
: have come from him. were true with
p the exception Of one date and he was
ready to give his testimony TO corrob-
crate them. He would answer TO thosf
T charges that he had announced. but hs
| could not say anything about the ru-
mors that had been current.
The charges were taken up as they
ie appeared in the newspapers. Howard
was the principal witness.
Much Of His Evidence Was Hearsay
" The substance of all the charges was
la laxity in the management which he
failed 10 prove.
The only cruelty the former guard
ever saw was the hanging up of pri-
lsoners by their arms. Their wrists
: were handcuned TO the doors Of tbs
= cell and they were allowed to remain
In that position all night.
Howard was cross ss-questioned b.
. Warden Meserve. who brought out q
~ number Of points in his favor. Mr.
b" Meserve cid not deny that prisoners
had been punished but said the records
y would show what it was for and th'
effect.
:, Harry Sharper colored, q former pri
" soner. who is said TO have been one o
y the ringleaders i'm the riot at the in
= stitution about a year ago. was csllel
u as one Of Howard's witnesses. He testi
fed that the food when he was at III
workhouse was bad and the meat serve'
had bad odor. He said that Guarl
NAdlllfhtI Aal nluA a iAlEAAAHA AA AAA
N workshop on one occasion with black
III jack for fighting. For his part in IN
be riot Sharper was put behind the blin'
door and feed FOR a week on bread ant
water.
John II. Rollo. an inmate. was calle
but knew nothing whatever detrimental
to Warden Meserve.
Bunny" Harris a prisoner, was ask
m ed for but the trustees thought it woul
n be establishing a bad precedent an
" refused 10 allow him 70 be brought be
fore them.
This concluded all the evidenc
a Howard had. Mr.. Meserve called wit
nesses who denied the charges i
every particular.
Dr. r. p. Subbs the workhouse ply
sician testified the food was of a goo
lquality and in sufficient quantities. II
,e- often made tests of il and found
M to be good.
Andrew Dickerson. representa-
on Swift & Co. Edward Guest and Nor
" McMullen Of the A. j. Hart Compan
'rs all testified that the meat they sold tn
re- workhouse was the very best.
" Albert A. Rothchilds said there wa
mt no good meat on the bones sent him {
the famous box for his dogs.
80 Warden MeScrNe called all III
er guards starting with Deputy Craw
iio ford. They all testified that the rule
OF the institution were strictly Ell
ne forced and that the laws were neve
OF lax in any particular The officers fre
ed quently held conferences in which th
lse warden's chief advice was TO look afte
lp- the welfare of the institution. He al
m. ways told them that In case OF dout
lat the prisoner should have the benefit {
for the doubt. They all testified toN NJ
IL Meserve's moral character. and ever
he one denied that he had ever heard an
of the other guards boasting Of possess
he ing information that made their pos
I'VE ,iors secure. The food was satisfaC
ig- tory 10 all them and thsrs We're nevs
iGny complaints.
srs This concluded the investigat ION aft'
srs which the trustees made. Public The
- finding.
her Blue. Green and Red Stamps
cid Al Lynch's--Have YOU tried the COZ
ull ID mill ~ ia ar k-ar,raff Ce,tt,4