The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-06-17
THE PRISON SLAYER
lRv E. Stagg Within }

mittee on Prison Labor.
Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau
"a hearing at the request Of
Governor Dix before Judge De An
seles OF the Supreme court revealed
the sworn testimony Of which this
account is but a connected 'narr1-
tive. Alfred Merrill. deputy after
ney general of New York state, n
whom credit is due for the frank
presentation of the case Of the PEG
pie which led to the sheriff : re-
moval by Governor Dix on February
g, 1912, il authority for the a2cu-
.acy OF the facts. For reasons OF
policy the names are changed
- He is a jolly fellow--this Shaver.
If YOU live in Syracuse. you won't
deny it. If you live In Liverpool
n. Y. you can't afford to. Outside
If Onondago county, fe whave seen
this big, burly fellow or heard the
ring in his laugh as he assures you
No jury in the county will dare
Jring an indictment against me
anyhow" He means it the same a.
when he tells the citizens Of his lit.
lie pocket borough in Liverpool" ''l
will damn the man who talks
against mel will break him OF
Jail him" II is not a vain boast
sither. owning as he does mortgages
which cover most of Liverpool b.
controlling its man industry, baske
making, he Is the industrial dictator
Then, as sheriff he can make {
scoop once in while and few livini
nave not violated some obsolete
statute,
To understand the comedy w
must 60 back fifty or sixty year
when in the quaint little town o
| Liverpool, there settled number o
u
| Germans, one of whom was Dicker
Dicker came from a German towI
where basketry was the common oc
cupaton. Finding that willow
grew on the shores OF Lake Onon
lago. he soon started to max
baskets for his own use. After
wards he began to peddle then
about TO the farmers The industr
vas taken up by others in the villag
rill it become the national center 70
he production of clothes baskets
As the industry developed competi
ton between their baskets and i'm
Iported baskets increased. Charge
against smuggling and Avoidance @
he tariff provisions, enraged tn
title community. Dicker and SLAYER
who had become his partner, studio
he problem and learned that tn
| Austrian Government had provide
100000 year for five years to er
courage the basket industry in Aus
trian pencil institutions.
| The National Customs regulation
forbade the entrance of these conviC
| made baskets. Still in vigilance {
| the federal government did not seer
to abate the evil Decker could ge
no profits until he decided to folio
the example Of the Austrians an
have his willows stripped at tn
onondago Penitentiary His par
ner. SLAYER was a political factor
the town and in control of the dom
nant party. He found way {
E getting around the state constiu
ton which provided for stat ,.ee
cnvict made goods by resNIutio
of the town board Of Salina,
IN which Liverpool is located.
the effect that the town moor &c
willows and whatever thrv civ
not do be let on contract to II
Onondaga penitcntiary.
Ten years ago the town superyi
or, being member of the Coun
Board Of Supervisors and havir
control If the penitentiary, enter
- INTO a contract with the penite
uary IN the name of the town
!" Salina In which Liverpool Is locs
y ed. Fred SLAYER Immediately b
came agent for the fnWn--what