Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-12-16
SHERIFF DROPS
9 JAIL KEEPERS
Two Discharged Who Were on
Duty August 9, When Five
Prisoners Escaped.

Sheriff Monahan today dropped
nine of the seventeen keepers at the
county Jail and replaced them by new
appointees.
Most of the victims Of the shake
up We're appointed by former Sheriff
Harrigan. All are members of the
Civil Service Association. They were
notified that their connection with
: the jail was to be severed by Warden
Richard McGuinness yesterday.
Among the men who felt the weight
of the official axe are Matthew J.
O'Brien and Joseph Mckinney, who
were on duty August last when
five prisoners made their escape from
the joil Walter Kane, who was
also on duty at the time, was sus-
pended Immediately after the escape.
Mrs. Nellie Mahoney, night matron,
Is among those who were dropped.
Her place will be filled by Miss Mary
Cullen.
One of the Dismissed Not Harrigan Man
Samuel Golcher, one of the men dis
missed, was not HarTigan appointee.
He was appointed from the civil serv-
ice list January of this year to sue
ceed Matthew j. Smith, who was ap-
pointed a probation officer. The other
keepers dismissed are Joseph McKin-
ney, Mathew J. O'Brien. Thomas
Reilly, Dennis Dunn, Owen Luddy,
Louis Walner, John Valente and
Michael Fitzgerald.
The new keepers are Dennis Nc
Donald, Charles Carberry, William
Hollywood, John Ryan, Bernard Far
ley. John O'Donnell and William Muir
ply, of this city; James T. McGov-
ern, of South Orange. and Edward
Thompson, of Bloomfield. M
The eight keepers who remained
are John Fl. Leonard, who acts as
clerk; Thomas Lyon, as deputy war
den; Bernard Conroy. James A.
Smith, John J. Carpenter, James Har-
ris, Edmund Morrisey and Frank
Casale. The latter was appointed to
succeed Indian jack Bryant, who
was injured some time ago by a
prisoner who attempted to escape.
Keepers Pay Is $50 Month.
The keepers receive $50 per month
and the night matron $50.
That Sheriff Monahan was within
his rights in discharging the nine
men is conceded by all county Off
cials who are familiar with the civil
service law His action is upheld in
several decisions of the upper courts,
which. have ruled that no law en-
acted by the State Legislature can
supersede the constitutional one gov-
erning the Office of sheriff.
nzI,o 10 -,oal-ae fha cf,ovtff t-acron-
sible for the safe-keeping of all pris-
oners and gives him the sole author
ity to appoint his deputies and keep
ers. The most recent decision in the
matter is in the case of N. p Wedin,
sheriff of Hudson county, who on as
suming Office ousted several deputies
and keepers.
Protest was made to the State civil
service BOARD, and the matter was
carried into the courts, which ruled
that Wedin had entire supervision
over the hiring and discharging Of
Jail employees.
S. The sheriff's letter to Warden Nc
Guinness was as follows
After a thorough investigation of
conditions at the jail l have decided
Sor the good of the service to make
some changes, which / am convinced
will tend to bring the jail system
more in line with modern ideas and
methods. In order to carry out this
scheme of improvements I hereby
direct you to dismiss the following
keepers. All of these changes are
to take effect Monday, December 16
1872"