New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-25
WORKHOUSE NEEDS
SHOWN mitchell
Mayor Praises Work OF
DIR. Davis After Tour
of BlackWelI's.
KEEPER ACCUSED
OF SELLING DRUGS
Barber and TruSty Named as
Accomplished Used
as Kitchen.


Relating the facts OF a visit to
Blackwell's and Riker's islands with
Commissioner Katharine B. Davis OF
the Department of Correction, Mayor
Mitchell yesterday took occasion TO
ptaise the work that had been accom-
plished. Special commendation was &C
corded the efforts of DR.. Davis and
Burdette G.. Lewis, the first deputy.
The trip was made so that the Com
missioner might explain to the Mayor
a plan for transferring the men IN
the workhouse on Blackwell's Island to
Riker's Island, where they actually
could be made to do some work.
"The Department Of Correction has
always seemed to me to be the least
understood and the most neglected OF
the city's departments" said the May.
or. at was particularly in need OF
enlightened attention. DR.. DAVIS I'M
derstands that there is nothing more
futile than 20 conduct the penitentiary
merely as a place of detention.
The Mayor added that DR.. DAVIS
and Mr.. Lewis had been applying
standards of intelligence and penal
administrative efficiency to the institu-
tions under their care. particular
izing, the Mayor went on to say;
methods adopted by DR.. Davis for
cutting down the drug traffic IN the
Tombs the workhouse and other penal
institutions are proving very effective.
Frequently the work of the police, the
courts and the District Attorney IN re-
forming criminals has been set at
naught by the evil practices OF ln5tl-
tutiopal employees. In one case recSil-
Iv exposed a resident physician mas
been furnishing prisoners with haDlt11
forming drugs for his own persona,
nroft Such exploitation has been all
too common in the past.
Plan to Cure Drug Habit.
"On nv tour of inspection observed
son,e of the prisoners who were de-
urived of drugs and who are now uH', ,SI
fbe doctors care. | was PROFOUNDLY
IMMERSED with the necessity for carry
mo into effect Commissioner DAVIS 5
Mans now pending before the Board OF
rstimate which contemplate decent
boqnital treatment for these untortu-
mates am informed that they can
he cured We know that a large per
centage of all the criminals are urus
users ,.Lo,,.o ~,
BlackwelPs Island" the Mayor sSlu.
"The conditions there are as Dau az
thew could be, because OF the croWueu
conditions and the antiquated plaht.
I, some of the rooms there are aS
many as twenty-five, or maybe IL "a9
thjrtv-tyo. inmates. The morai cohui-
tiops are rotten, but little can De zone
IN improve them so long as the crowd
ing continues. o,or1.,
;.oio+o tho nrisoners who are dope
fends' and who need special treatment:
They were morally certain that one oil
the prisoners | saw was getting drugs
hut thew seemed unable to discover
where it came FROM"
IRON Blackwells Island the party
went to Riker's Island. There are al
ready few men prisoners from BLACK
wells Island there, and the plan OF
Commissioner Davis is to provide &C
Communications for all the men prison
ors on Riker's. She now has before
the Board Of Estimate request Tor
r,Oney to that end. ,.,.
1--WE want to make the workhouse
workhouse in fact as well as name,
s,id the Mayor "They cane work on
Blackwelps Island, for the facilities are
mot there. We want to make them
farm at Riker's Island"
Charles E. Whalen, for seven years
a keeper at the workhouse on BLACK
wells Island, was locked up IN the
East 9th st. police station last nigh ::
charged with violating the section OF
the Penal Code which makes 1t M g
demeanor to provide prisoners with
drugs. liquor or any other article pto-
hibited by the rules of the instlSu-
tions.
Katherine B. Davis. Commi ssioner of
Correction. said Whalen confessed to
having sold food. cigars and cigarettes
and various kinds of merchandise to
the prisoners, but denied that he had
ever furnished drugs to them. Nhalen
will be arraigned in the Iorkyi.le
court this morning, when Commits
sioner Davis will appear as complain
ant.
1t is alleged that he used the parcel
post to get things through to the pTis-
oners. He had two accomplices in tho
workhouse, according to the story, one
the barber and another a trusty.
L Dattlebaum asserts that Whalen and
his accomplices had fitted up Cell %
as a sort of kitchen. They had an oil
stove and prepared ham and egg sand
wches, which we're sold to the prison
crs.
Just as they were getting ready to
arrest Whalen, five days ago, he let
the island. Whalen was arrested at
his home in Corona yesterday after
noon.
He sent for Michael Whalen, said o
be his father, who advised him to make
a full confession. A Michael WhAien
is headkeeper at the Essex Market
Prison, and at one time was well known
in Tammany circles.
POLICEMAN Is HELD