New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-26
DR.. DAVIS LEADS
STEALTHY RAID
ON HART'SISL
pirates" TiptOe Ashore
and Rob Poor Inmates
of Files and Hammers.
COOKE" AND CASH
TAKEN ALONG, TOO
Then Desperate Crew Returns to
Health Department Offices
and Counts UP Loot.

"A low. raksh craft, with lights
dimmed fore and aft and engines
mufiod slipped away from the Health
Department pier at the foot Of 1879
Street early yesterday morning.
On the bridge, swathed in a shape
less seafaring coat that did not alto
gether hide the curves beneath, stood
the commander a woman. Broad
shouldered, wide-footed men, bit too
corpulent it seemed for the able sea
man class, crowded the ieck below
Great though their comparative stat
ure, the bulky crew listened with at
tention and respect as the skipperess
whispered instructions.
Were on, Commissioner, they rum,
bied from time to time. Nothing II
get by
For half an hour the sinister craft
Law on a course SOU by sou-sou west:
Then there came the faintest tinkle OF
the engine room bell.
Full Speed Ahead"
Full speed ahead for Harris Island,
whispered the voice OF the commander
CITY were sleeping soundiy and unsus-
pectingly when n dark shadow merged
itself with the shadows about the pier.
Ropes were made fast and gangplank
run out, all as silently as II the stout
sailors were working IN dream. =,
Over the gangplank came, first OF all.
the skipperess. She walked on tlptoe.
Tiptoeine after came the crew. They
stopped for moment to survey the
five. big, barrick-like buildings which
lowered before them-the dormitories
Of the branch workhouse.
The skipperess led the way to the
remotest OF the buildings. With her
retainers at her back she entered. Her
hand found a switch and in an instant
the room blazed with light. A hundred
slecpers, suddenly awakened, sat up III
their prison cots and rubbed their
eyes They saw the nineteen disemI
barked sailors from the lugger and
thew shuddered. for they had seen such
men before. -,
At nod from the commander Of the
shore expedition one of her companions
stepped forward.
Don't lets have any noise or DIS
order, men," he announced, authorita-
lively, 81 am Burdette G.. Lewis. Deputy
Commissioner of Correction. This lady
at my side is the Commissioner. The
rest are detectives from Lieutenant
Scherbs special squad.
1--WE understand that lot OF knives,
tools. money, drugs and other contra
band goods have found their way re-
Gently into this branch Of the WORK
house and we've come 10 collect them.
So stay quietly in your beds while the
detectives look about"
The dazed prisoners obeyed instruc-
tions while the policemen. ruthlessly
sought out and confscated their treas
ures. From under mattresses they pro-
duced hand-t fooled knives, razors, MES,
silver coins and an occasional find OF
soft money"
Afterward the other four dormitories
were visited, one at a time. In not
single case vas the coming OF the
searchers anticipated, so neatly did
Commissioner Davis's plan work out.
When the rakish vessel-later identi-
fed in the early morning light as the
Health Department boat-put out again
she carried the dearest treasures OF
Harris island, in this wise:
Knives and Files in Loot.
Ninetyfour knives, SIX razors, eight
pairs Of shears, thirty-one files, two
hammers, one utOh VI
white powder not yet analysed and
S13616.
Commissioner Davis said she had not
made the raid over Warden Schletn
head. but rather at his request
"Word came TO me from prisoner
several days ago that great many
contraband articles had been smuggled
into the branch workhouse," said the
Commissioner" II was not surprising,
for we have only single screen IN the
visitors room and there are no cells.
Chances for concealment are practically
unlimited. :.
"To seize the contraband articles ~
was necessary to plan a surprise. IN
which we were fortunately successful
The warden's force of keepers was too
small to handle the job, so at his sug-
gestion ] got Lieutenant Seherb's men;
~ don't think the fact the men had
knives and tools in the workhouse can
he taken to mean they figured on jail
delivery. or anything Of that sort. Inc
only danger which suggested itself 70
me was that they might be tempted to
use the knives in fights among them
selves"