The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-03-10
REPORT TO SULZER
CRITICISES SCOTT
CcnSurcs the Prison Official
for Retaining Mills
in Office.
OFFENCES NOT REPORTED
Superintendent Is Blamed for
Causing Money to BE Spent
Without Authority.
OFFENCES NOT REPORTED

ALBANY, March Gov. suffers COM
mission of inquiry which has been
investigating State departments. has
submitted It's report on the administra-
ton OF the Prison Department. Of which
Col. Joseph +. Scott Is the head
The dismissal OF Col. Scott Is not ad-
vlsed In the document. but his work Is
severely criticised. II is declared that
his explanation and, If possible. justifi-
cation Of certain Conclusions should
be forthcoming at once.
So far Gov. Sulzcr has declined to say
what action he will take in the matter.
but the impression here is that he will
require a good answer from Col. Scott.
The Superintendent Of Prisons is en-
pected To fight any unfavorahle action
and his friends say he will not resign
The report of the commission contains
the following recommendations:
That the action of the State Superin-
tcndent Of Prisons in retaining in his de-
partment Frederick II. Mills. purchaser
of supplies for the prisons, after the inn
propriety of certain acts of his had be-
come manifest is ccnsurablc and i'm
proper.
That employees Of Clinton prison were
discharged by the Superintendent for
grave offences against the State, that
formal complaints Of these offences were
not made tn the proper authorities and
that some of these employees were re-
employed by the state
That Col. Scott made an "unwar-
rantcd" attack upon the County Judge
and Prosecuting Attorney of Clinton
county when he said that 1t would do
no good to have these discharged en-
ployees brought before authorities be-
cause no attention would bc paid to the
charges. This is held as an attempt on
the part Of the superintendent to i'm
pugn the honesty Of the officials men
toned.
That the superintendent entered into
negotiations to sell timber from land
around Clinton prison when he had no
right In law to do so and that when
the timber was legally advertised and
sold $4,000 more was secured than
would have been had under the pro-
posed arrangement
That an Improbable contract for the
sale of other lumber owned by the State
has been continued despite the fact
that two commissioners had condemned
the practice.
That the superintendent took action,
unauthorized in the law by causing the
spending of State money for convict
labor on roads in an Incorporated vii
lage, Dannemora.
That under the present administration
of b., Vt, h..
wan asylum had become destructively
lax and that Harry Thaw was allowed
unusual liberties as he was permitted
To receive callers very frequently and
was able to receive and frequently re-
tain in his possession certain large
sums of money which he was able TO
transmit to an attorney recommended
by the superintendent OF the institution
for the purpose OF trying to procure
his release from the institution"
That John W. Russell. who was
appointed superintendent Of MatteaNan
State Hospital on April :. 1912, by the
Superintendent Of Prisons. testified
that some time in the latter part OF
1912 he was offered by lawyer. John
y. Anhut. in New York city, $50. 900
II he would discharge Harry X. Thaw
and that this was reported to the Su-
perintendent Of Prisons shortly after
the event occurred: that 1t was not re-
ported to the District Attorney of the
county of New York
The Superintendent Of Prisons testi-
fled that this case was brought to his
attention on January 20, 1918; that he
did nothing after the report of affairs
from the superintendent Of Matteawan,
because he had made up his mind it
was too late 10 investigate It, and,
further. because he could not prosecute.
as he had no corroborative evidence /;
that after he had been advised of the
attempted bribery he made no investl-
cation and took no steps In any way
to either punish tho person making the
offer or TO guard against the improper
use Of money in the institution saying
he considered II closed incident.
II IL further shown that John G. Nc
Dowell, secretary to the Superintendent
of Prisons, testified on February rs,
1918, that he was correctly quoted In
the public press in statement made
by him concerning certain official mat =
ters. To the effect that the Governor of
this State was either lying, misin-
formed or mixed up" and further refer
ring to the Governor in n most undigni-
fled and unbecoming manner lin the
presence of the Superintendent of
Prisons and several representatives of
newspapers. Further. that so far as the
records of this committee show the sec
retary to the Superintendent Of Prisons
Is still retained in the employ of the
State.
The report Is submitted by Commits
soners T. y. Carlisle, John II. Delaney
and II. Gordon Lynn.