New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-01
TAMMANY AND GLYNN TO BLAME IN
PRISON SCANDAL EXPOSED BY TRIBUNE

Walsh was driven around lOhheiN
according 20 Warden McCormicks own
sworn statement, on Primary Day oy
David A. Sullivan, while Walsh cam
paigned for Governor Glynn. =,
On several occasions, warden NC.
Cormick admitted, when he went out
with Sullivan he left Sullivan alone IN
charge Of the automobile, and that on
one OF these occasions the Identical
place where he left Sullivan alone was
at ed st. and Broadway, Manhattan
The humor of the situation, despite
it's tragic side, of a convict sentenced
TO hard labor NJ Sing Sing for term
Of not less than two years ana hot
more than four being turned adrllt on
Broadway and ed ST., within stone
throw Of all that goes 60 make the fhr-
famed gayety Of the metropolis must
appeal TO all.
WHY Not Becker!
Mccormick with as good grace couid
have taken Charles Becker, the en-
ployer of the four gunner, from inc
death house and had Becker drive MIN
TO Broadway and gid ST. and then aoan-
doned him while he (the warden TOOK
a walk around. These last four words
are McCormick's, and were used by ann
under oath to describe what he dld
during the four hours when he lelS
Sullivan alone with the machine.
What Sullivan did when Mccormick
took a walk around, according TO one
keeper of cafe at Columbus Circle,
was 10 enter the cafe and order
Bronx cocktail What Sullivan ala
with the cocktail needs no investga,,
ton. Nor does anything else he dla
after he ordered the cocktail and leiS
the cafe. What Sullivan did during the
four hours Mccormick admits he was
away from his conyict-companlon, 70
paraphrase the saying of former
leader Of Tammany Hall, is Sullivan >
private business.
The general public may think diner
emily, but then the general puohc II
too exacting in Tammany's view. q,
Perhaps Sullivan went TO bank ana
realized on some of the securities ne
is charged with retaining, securities
that properly belong to the Union BANK
denositors. But as Governor Glynn
told a delegation Of Union Bank de-
positors. or intimated after he re-
ceived them, they are actuated by po--
litical motives. There are lb,O0O OF
them. and the Governor is probaply
ripht-the whole $4,000 have no inter
est in what Sullivan does unless IL
NAV hurt Governor Glynn. They are
not actuated by honest endeavors 10
prevent Sullivan from stealing more
of their money. No; their sole object
Governor Glynn would have one DE-
Levels 10 hurt Governor Glynn.
This brings us 20 the question as 10
who is responsible for Su.livan's easy,
care-free life under Warden McCor-
mick. District Attorney Cropsey
thinks Governor Glynn is. Perhaps
Mr.. Cropsey is biassed. There arc
people who have never heard Of John
Locke. and who do not know syl-
logism from a fiscal report, but VINO
reason in the grapevine" method.
By this mode of reasoning the blame
can be attached to Governor Glynn IN
a few words: Sullivan TO Mccormick,
Mccormick to Riley, Riley to Glynn
Or. to reverse the simple and terse
method of grapevine" reasoning, we
can fix the responsibility on Governor
Glynn thus:
Governor Glynn appointed John b:
Riley Superintendent OF Prisons, ana
is therefore responsible for Riley =
acts. Riley appointed Mccormick ma
is in turn responsible for McCormicks
acts Mccormick appointed sullivan
his chauffeur and is responsible Tor
Sullivan's acts.
And notwith landing the removal of
Mccormick by Riley, all the state
ments Governor Glynn may issue, or
any one else, in the hope of making
Mccormick or any one else "the goat,
the Governor will be held responsible
by the public for the acts of his
and particularly for the
conditions at Sing Sing which made
the "joy rides" Of Sullivan possible
until they were ended by the exposure
in The Tribune.
Some Sullivan History.
The chronological history of the Sui
Ivan scandal is significant, particular
ly with reference to Governor Glynn's
part in it.
October 1s-The Tr.lune published
the story of Sullivsn's Joy rides
October Ex-Governor Glynn refused
TO discuss the matter, pleading that 1t
had not yet been brought to his atten-
ton The same day the depositors of
the Union Bank met nd demanded an
investigation.
October 21- Superintendent Riley
denied Sullivan had received special IA
vors and tried TO excuse Mccormick
by saying that Sullivan was being
taught how 20 run d car so he could
earn a living when his term ended.
October % District Attorney Crop
sey of Kings County started a grand
jury probe. His assistant, with sub
pepnas for Mccormick and others, Wis
tied Sing Sing and was treated dis
courteously by McCormick's Office staff.
October 2f-The Union Bank depos-
itOrs sent telegram TO Governor
Glyrn complaining Of "the improper
conduct Of Superintendent Riley and
Warden Mccormick"
October "a Six days after the story
was first printed, Governor Glynn, stung
into action, ordered an investigation OF
Mccormick by Riley.
October 2j-Uniou Bank depositors
and others criticised Governor Glynn
for ordering Riley TO make the inyesti-
cation when he was also accused. One
criticism lkened the act TO Rhinelander
Waldo's famous order 10 Lieutenant
Charles Becker TO investigate himself
when he was accused Of being a part
Her with Herman Rosenthal in a gam
bling house.
October 26-District Attorney Crop
sey, in a public speech, accused Gov
crnor Glynn Of being responsible for
the Sullivan scandal.
October Ex-Governor Glynn, after
he criticisms of the way Riley was
conducting the investigation, appointed
Stephen c. Baldwin, Brooklyn lawyer,
20 investigate the scandal.
October 2S-Baldwins appointment
criticised by the Union Bank depositors
and by District Attorney Cropsey.
October Governor Glynn defend
ed Baldwin.
October Mccormick removed as
warden.