The Somerset reporter., 1906-03-01
NEGLECT OF DUTY
Four Employees of Boston Jail
Are Discharged
THE GASKELL EPISODE
summary Action rs a Result Of
Investigation by District At
tornpy. Who Will submit Rvi-
dence to the Grand Jury

dence to the Grand Jury
Boston Feb. 22-In consequence Of
District Attorney Moran's investigation
Of the escape of George a. Gaskell
from Charles street jail. Sheriff Seaveg
has taken summary action and dis
charged the four employees whose ser
vices the district attorney recon
mended that the county dispense With.
Thomas Fa.lon, an inside officer, ls
discharged because of violation of or
ders In permitting the prisoner Gaskell
to enter the StOreroom for exercise.
George Callahan. an inside officer, and
Flayel Shurtleff, and Charles L. Hatch.
watchmen. are discharged for in
efficiency 1t was Hatch who was on
duty when Howard and Carr effected
their escape, and at that time the sherif
warned the officials that another such
escapade on the part of any prisoner
would mean discharge.
SO far as Sheriff Seavey is concerned
his action closes the incident. The dis
trict, attorney, however, has said that
he intends 10 submit the evidence
which he obtained in his investigation
10 the grand Jury a its March sitting
The district attorney subjected to the
third degree the -four officials whose
discharge he recommended and ques
toned a number of prisoners whose
cells are in the nclghborhood Of the one
from which Gaskell escaped. At the
conclusion Of The investigation the dis
trict attorney said: There is absolutely
no doubt that one of the three mon on
duty In the rotunda Saturday night and
Sunday morning opened Gaskell's cell
aud permitted him TO gain his freedom
through the storeroom.
The testimony showed that Officer
I'allon senior of the sheriff's subor
dinates, who has been in the service for
years and is known as day officer"
had on various occasions given Gask ell
the use Of the Storeroom for exercise
which is regarded as A direct violation
Of the rules While exercising in the
storeroom. it is believed, Gaskell was
sharp enough to size up the surround
ings and carefully formulate his plan
OF escape
The rules of the jail call for an hourly
inspection of the cell doors through
the night The testimony, 1t Is under
stood, showed laxity of this require
ment. the officers admitting that il has
been the practice to give the cell doors
4 curSory test early in the evening and
not to bother with them afterward
All the cells open into the rotunda.
Officer Callahan. the superior of the
three men OF duty. had the key to the
rotunda and to the office in which the
safe Is kept. In this safe are locked
the keys TO the cells. together with
that of the storeroom Each Of the
three officials admitted to Moran that
he had gone from the rotunda to the
office where the safe is kept during
Saturday night and in order to do this
Callahan was obliged to give each the
key at the various times.
Each official admitted to the district
opened by some one from the outside.
YET each declared he saw no one go to
II during the night, and each pro
nounced the affair n mystery" All.
Ia turn. denied that they opened the
cell or played any part in the escape
of Gaskell
Fallon's pay was $3.50. Callahan re-
rcived $500, Shurtlen and Hatch each
received $1,000 year.