The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-04
FIVE INDICTED FOR
NASSAUJAIL 0RCIES
Ex-Warden Box and Four Keep
ers Accused Of Gross
immortality.
MORE ARRESTS EXPECTED
Federal Prisoner Said to Have
Sworn He Made Jail Base
for RObberies.
MORE ARRESTS EXPECTED

MiNboLA. L. l.. March S-winheld 8.
Box. former warden Of the Nassau County
JAIL and Richard B. Miller. q former
keeper under Box. were arrested tonight
on bench warrants charging them with
immoral conduct toward women prisoners
in the Jail during December. 1918.
They were locked up in the jail over
which they had charge up to the FIRST Of
the year. The offence with which they
are charged Is punishable with twenty
years imprisonment.
Box. Miller and three other men were
indicted by the Nassau Grand Jury to day
after evidence was presented by District
Attorney Lewis J. Smith showing that
drunkenness and immortality were OF the
everyday life In the Jail during the last
part OF BOx's administration. The EVIL
dence was given by women who are still
in Jail and In the form Of afidavits by
former prisoners. Two more indictments
are expected tomorrow.
Sheriff Petit has had the men named
in the indictments under surveillance for
several days and expects to make more
arrests.
Box. who lives In Lynbrook. 10 q son Of
Democratic County Committeeman Thomas
X. Box. He said that he was guiltiess
and that II such things went on In the
jail he did not know Of them. Miller.
| who was a painter before he became In.
| volved In politics and got his appointment
as keeper. lives In Freeport Both men
were arrested at their homes by County
Detectives Rayner and Plant.
Photograph IN Evidence.
The first inkling OF what was going on
in the Jail came to the ears Of United
States Attorney William J. Youngs three
weeks ago. Some one who had seen
suggestive photograph taken In the TAIL
OF woman Federal prisoner took the
photograph and his suspicious to Mr..
Youngs. who Investigated with Judge
Thomas l. Chatield OF the United States
court in Brooklyn.
Mr.. Youngs went to the Jail and got
the stories OF two women, Laura Meyer
and Jennie Z. Foster. her mother. who
are serving Federal sentence for using
the mails to promote q matrimonial
! agency. The information obtained was
laid before District Attorney Smith. who
i also got an AFFIDAVIT from Annie Quinn. a
State prisoner.
The women told OF unbounded license In
| the Jail. They said they had been made
drunk. had been forced to visit the war
. den and his assistants and to 10 to the
| cells Of men prisoners and Laura Meyer
| said that on one occasion two men held
| her arms while her clothes were tore on
| and her picture taken. One OF the keep
ers Is shown holding her. The things
| that went on were not confined to the
Jail. according to the women. as they told
Of being taken outside to saloons and
moving picture shows.
Besides Box and Miller. they named
Keepers John Conrad Of Port Washington.
William Clifford Of Roosevelt and Miles s.
Rhodes Of Freeport Rufus Rhodes. a
photographer and brother OF Miles, who
lives in Freeport. and Ralph s. Jacoby. a
Federal prisoner who WAS released from
Jail only last week.
Jacoby Is reported to have made an
affidavit now In the possession OF District
Attorney Smith. which makes charges
against the jail officials of different
character. This confession Of Jacobys is
said to have been made to Mr.. foungs.
but the latter said last night that he had
never seen the man and did not know OF
any such confession.
Says He Went Out to Rob.
Jacoby IL said to have made state
ment that he found Jail a nice place from
which to 10 out now and then to rob
a post office or store in some little Long
Island town. He said that he did moi
10 alone, and that on one occasion When
he got $4,000 from the Lawrence pos,
office ne kept II In the jail until he found
time on one of his liberty days to take
II to Manhattan. Mr.. Smith knows where
Jacoby Is and thinks he can produce him
when he Is wanted.
Mr.. Smith found that the Jail was vel
conducted up to the time former SheSn
De Mott and his wife left II late In
November. Mrs. De Mott acted at ma tror
but after they left there was no woman
In the place to look after the womer
prisoners.
The women Federal prisoners IN the jal
were removed from there to the Ray
mond street Jail In Brooklyn after Mr.
Youngs learned Of conditions. and to-da,
after going to Mineola to testify befor,
the Grand Jury they were taken back 4
, Brooklyn.
Sheriff Petit heard to-day that Mile,
Rhodes, one Of the former keepers. coult
NOT be found at his house. The Sheriff
has had q watch kept on the Long Islam
Railroad stations In case any OF the mel
he wants try to get away.