New Britain herald., 1914-07-10
DRUGS STRUGGLED IN !. SING SING PRISON
Ex-Wddtn Tells Board He Knows ! No Way to Stop Il.

New York, July 10.-James M. Clancy, ex-warden of Sing Sing pris- on, very bluntly informed the State Commission of Prisons yesterday that drugs and other contraband are be- ing srnuggled into Sing Sing prison now: that they have been smuggled for a long time and will continue to bk smuggled no matter what the au- thorities may try to do in the mat ter
 The only way he could see in which the practice may be kept down to the f1linimum is for the state to segregate and isolate all drug users under the care of competent resident physicians. As it stands now he very frankly said:
 School For Fiends.
 'Sing Sing prison now is a training school for drug fiends. Young men who come here are initiated into the practice which ruins them. You cam not stop it entirely; you can reduce it to minimum by isolating the iends. I tried to stop it and failed.' x MT. Clancy went to the law office of Fsancis c. Huntington, vice president Of the commission, yesterday after noon by invitation. He met there Henry Solomon, president of the board; Frank E. Wade, commission CT; Leon c. Weinstock of the Com mission on New Prisons and John F. Tremain, clerk.
 His First Interview
 An interview quoting him as saying thatsa political drug syndicate SUD- plies the contraband," which he de- nied yesterday was the Inspiration of the meeting and the members in- formed him they were determined to go at once into the most exhaustive Investigation. .A
 T am very glad to come and aid the commission" said MT. Clancy, with a smile, "1 was warden for year and this is the first time that have had the pleasure of meeting the board. There were times when I would have been glad to have had your aid in attempting to institute re- forms and to stamp out abuses No Political Syndicate.
 s After repeating that there :s no Political or other syndicate engaged in Smuggling contraband into the prison, the former warden said that it was the Successful individual effort of the many friends of hundreds of men in prison to supply them.
 6 Drugs in untold quantities come Into the prison in an infinite number Of ways he explf ined. "I know that. Asafast as you discover one way an- other is found.". He detailed some of them, letters, under stamps, en- bossed postal cards, handkerchief henls, bed linens, pictures, food, cloth ing, chairs, knives, boxes and every other conceivable movable which can go to prisoners. There are drawers in the warden's office full of such things.
 .were the keepers implicated?" he was asked.
 Three Were Discharged
 MT. Clancy gave the result of one Investigation where trusties, who are called rats by the other inmates, save the names of several keepers to the state superintendent of prisons, Judge Riley A careful investigation cf &hese men was made; they were watched and only three of them went Off the payroll
 The inmates of some departments have access to the long dock. Mir. Clancy believed that sometimes at night a boat could sneak up to that place and hide contraband to be picked up later by them.
 Will the prisoners tell us how the drugs come in?' asked MT. Solomon. "A. dozen men gave the information Ak& former investigation,' was the AEswer, land the identity of one of them was discovered. He is kept in A LII to prevent an assault being mt on him or to save him from be- fngaWnfdered.' z The warden said there were good men relatively in the prison. who will talk if they are sure tE$e1r names will be kept secret. He gave some names to the commission in confidence
 Discipline at Naught.
 Drugs and contraband were not the only abuses of the prison the warden continued. Discipline, for instance, was set at naught by the fast that the state comptroller main -tains clerk at the prison who is not subject to the warden's orders. He can come when he pleases and go when he pleases and naturally he has his friends. .s, ...
 The whole system is unsanitary and UAiiooieHy. IupeTCuIOSlS, pneumonia and rheumatism are prevalent in the lower cell blocks, where one can rub the heavy moisture off with the hand.
 Foundry in Danger.
 #Tne foundry is in danger of falling nysday, and sixty men are employed there. A knitting shop trains men for job outside in which 80 per cent. CT more of the employees are women working for $8 a week.
 Tine useful, we'll behaved inmates should receive more than one and one half cent day pay" he said.