Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-12-07
ConUict Labor
Graft
Labor Of convicts Sold to Contractor
Who is Also the Sheriff
In Charge.

In Charge.
The National Committee on Prison
Labor. after a campaign extending
over a year and half has succeeded
in bringing to trial the grating Sheriff
of Onondaga County, New York. At
the County Court House in Syracuse
public hearings were held in October,
1911, before Judge De Angels, who
was appointed by Governor Dix to take
testimony. The hearing developed the
fact that for eight years contracts
have existed for the work of the pris-
oners in the onondaga penitentiary.
The contractor has been one Fred
WICKER, who, on November 4, 1909.
was elected sheriff Of Syracuse, thus
becoming boss Of the penitentiary al
well as contractor. By working the
prisoners he has been able to have
willows for baskets stripped at the
penitentiary for SO per cent of what
he could get it in the town. This has
caused the women and children o.
that community to work for twelve
and sometimes fifteen hours day t.
make family existence possible. A
large number of children, even babies
have been forced into the stripping
work by this contract system. Testi-
mony has shown further that while
WICKER has contracted for So per ton
for the willow there existed a supple
mental contract whereby he got back
So Of the 50. AS Sheriff, it is said
THAT this contractor has gathered in
men for trespass along the lines OF
| the railroad and made them work in
the peniteutiary on his contract. The
Ease being brought against him VIII
result in his removal, as 1t has been
proved that he has violated his own
Isoath of office, which required him to
sustain the Constitution Of the State,
which prohibits such contracts. It
will be remembered that the labor
delegates, headed by John T, McDons
ough, counsel for the State Federation
of Labor, put this clause In the Con-
Sstitution Of the State in the Constitu-
tional Convention Of 1894, and it is
this part of the New York State Con-
stitutien that has been adopted in a
number of other States.
The principal witness against sheriff
WICKER was DR.. e. Stage Within, sec
rotary of the National Committee on
Prison Labor, who testified to the fact
that as agent for the Department OF
Labor in the spring of 1910, he had in
vestigated WICKER and reported TO
John Williams, Commissioners Of La
Dor, the bacts IN the case. Mr.. Whit
ms testimony shows further that a
! special committee Of the National
i Committee on Prison Labor. eompos-
led of Henry Solomon, president OF
/ the Prison Commission, and o. F.
! Lewis, Of the New York Prison Asso-
E.ciation, was taken to Syracuse by
! Within to Investigate the contracts
last December and that their investi-
/ CATION verified his charges. It was
also shown that upon demand Of the
National Committee on Prison Labor
/ that action be taken upon this matter
| by the New York Prison Commission.
!. Commissioner Frank Wade took testi-
mony which strengthened Mr.. Whit
4 ms report aud proved conclusiyely
/ that the Sheriff had been grating. All
these reports had been kept from the
public and not allowed to leak out
until the recent hearing, when, at the
! request of 4the Attorney General Mr..
Whitin went on the stand. Sheriff
WICKER was defended by Joseph
Hancock. the Attorney General under
EGovernor Morton, who is said to have
been interested in the Hawkins case Of
- y -
/ that time, which tended to break down
the constitutional provision against
i the sale of convict goods Sherin
WICKER is selling his baskets made
of convict stripped willow in New
York city and through the West. He
is said to have made large fortune.
The convicts in the penitentiary are
at present, at the suggestion of the
National Committee on Prison Labor,
being worked in the quarry and on
the county roads. and plan has been
devised for extension Of this type Of
work along the lines suggestedb 7 3.
"A. Larger, General Secretary Of the
Garment Workers, before the Com
mittee on Penal Institutions in the
New York Legislature last year, at
II !. - - = a. Mr. nf-cnnI. and