New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-24
Mccormick and Mayor of
Yonkers To Be Called
On to Testify.
BANK WRECKER'S
LIBERTY AT STAKE
Irate Depositors of Closed In
stitution Demand He Serve
Full Sentence.

District Attorney Cropsey, of Kings
County, began yesterday an investiga-
tion of the conditions at Sing Sing
prison set forth in the Tribune recent
ly, which have permitted extraordinary
privileges to David A. Sullivan, wrecker
of the Union Bank of Brooklyn, who is
serving sentence there. An automobile
in which the former Uni6n Bank Off
cial lolled comfortably while Warden
Mccormick, Of Sing Sing, presided al
the steering wheel, or in which Sulli-
van, as chauffeur, speeds about West
chester County with women as passen-
gers, is the basis for the District At
torney's inquiry.
Depositors of the busted" bank are
white hot with indignation. It was at
their instigation that Mr.. Cropsey
with Assistant District Attorney Louis
Goldstein aiding him, began the inves-
tigation. Subpoenas for dozen or
more persons prominent in Westches-
ter County may be issued to-day.
The warden of the prison and Mayor
Lennon of Yonkers are said to be
among those who will be called upon
to tell of what they know concerning
Sullivan's enjoyment of autumnal "joy
rides" when he should be in confine-
ment. The cessation of Sullivan's
privileges will not satisfy the deposit
tors. Neither will the Kings County
District Attorneys Office. rest there, il
was said last night.
Wouli Gust Warden.
The removal of Mccormick as war
den may follow the investigation, il is
said, while there was also talk of o
Supreme Court order being obtained re-
questing the Governor to hear charges
against State Superintendent Of Prisons
John B. Riley.
The very least that can come of the
activity of the Brooklyn officials, il
was said, would be the request to the
board of parole to refuse Sullivan''
petition for his liberty on the first OF
the year. He was convicted on an in.
deteTminate sentence of from two tC
four years and three months.
Sullivan entered Sing Sing the frst
Of last year, and on January l, 1915
may be liberated. The depositors, who
have banded into an organization, with
]. +. Rohrer, of 40 Fenimore st.
Brooklyn, as chairman of the executive
committee, incensed at the liberty per
mitted Sullivan, are determined that
the former banker shall serve the full
sentence.
There are also four other indict
ments hanging over Sullivan on which
he may be tried when the sentence ht
is now serving is completed. One in
dictment is for grand larceny, the
amount involved being sl25,000; an
other, on the same charge, involves
Sl2,50O, while there are also twC
charges for forgery, involving $4,000
All four charges grew out of the
Union Bank case. Before the District
Attorneys investigation is completed
/ steps may be taken TO obtain Sullivan
| arrangement on all four charges. The
panalties attached are from five to ter
| years in each instance.
There was nothing TO prevent Sulli'
van from leaving the country when nc
was allowed TO ride around at liberty,
one of the depositors of the bank said
Yesterday. "Should he have done so
with the other indictments hanging
over him, who would have been respon-
sible. Warden Mccormick or Superin-
tendent Riley, at Albany? There is one
thing the persons interested in the
Union Bank, and the public as well
NAV be assured of. Before the District
Attorney is through with this matter
we shall know"
Indignant Mt Superintendent.
Particularly indignant are the de-
positors at the State Superintendent oi
Prisons. They feel that il would be OF
little avail to make formal application
10 Superintendent Riley for an inves-
tigation of Warden McCormick's con-
duct in permitting the Brooklyn pris'
/ dner an unheard Of amount OF liberty
"SuDefInIendenI hllcy, VI COuIoe, hos
General supervision of all the prisons
| in the state, and, in measure, he sits
as a Judge to pass upon any complaint
or violation of the law by any warden
or against the State Prison" DR.. j.
Ellis Rohrer said last night. "The de-
nositors realize how futile il would be
70 lodge a complaint with Superintend-
cnt Riley against Warden Mccormick
However, he has such complaint on
our mart. and issued statement ad-
mitting that Sullivan used the automo-
bile. but said that he did it to preserve
his health and to learn the useful art
of chauffeuring."
Other depositors were particularly
ircensed at Superintendent Riley. His
condonement Of McCormiek's permit.
t;nr Sullivan the use OF the car out
eide of the prison walls will be used
sore assert, as basis for an attemp,
to obtain his removal from Office.
great amount of evidence showing
that Sullivan did repeatedly drive the
automobile about the smooth West
chester roads was obtained yesterday
Continued on page 4, column 4.