New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-10
Warden and the Principal
Keeper Appear Before
Sing Sing investigators.
WRITS ISSUED FOR
TWO MORE INMATES
Four COnvicts Slipped Into the
Courtroom as Mystery Wells
the Proceedings.

All eAldnk RECORDS OF tHe huSun'
Welfare League, covering the trinls
conducted before the prison court al
Sing Sing for the last three months.
were turned over to the Westchoster
grand jury investigating the conditions
IN tho peniientiary yesterday. Warden
Osborne, accompanied by his counsel,
Huntington ". Merchant. arrived at
White Plains early In the morning, in
response to a subpoena, 20 explain the
non-appesrsnce Of the missing docu-
ments Frank Dorner, the principal
keeper, accompanied him. and was ex-
am ined al length By the jury.
-Four Of the six convicts locked in
the White Plain. jail were also pre-
scented 70 The grand jury. according to
current rumor in the Westehester
town. All of the proceedings OF the
body have been wrapped IN mystery by
District Attorney Weeks, whose one re
mark In answer 20 all questions is; L
have nothing to say
Say -Four Convicts Testified.
This much is certain: Four OF the
late Sing Sing men, held in Jail for ex.
animation, left their quarters at 1880
o'clock this morning, guarded by Ray
Hill. son Of the warden. and Ben Cfaw-
ford. a keeper. 1t is believed they were
taken by rear way to the room in the
District Attorneys Office where the
grand Jury Is in session. Judge Will
lett. townspeople say. was not one OF
the quartet. Others say they recog-
niZed Nathan ksplsn. alias Kid Drop
per. and Joe Rotola among the four.
Following the testimony of the six
convicts now chartered in the county
iisil it is understood that Mr.. Weeks
will ask that they be transferred to
Great Meadows prison, instead Of being
Re turned to Sing Sing. This, it is be-
lieved, is an indication that their
stories will be distinctly hostile to the
warden OF the penitentiary on inc
Hudson.
Writs Of habess corpus issued by
Justice Joseph Morschauser. of White
Plains, at the request Of District At
tornev Weeks. were delivered TO War
den Osborne at Sing Sing yesterday
afternoon calling for the delivery OF
two prisoner. TO testify before the
grand jury to-day.
ceeded William J. Cummings as mayor
Of the Sing Sing community, and Will
IAN Trefry, pitcher on the Mutual
Welfare League baseball team and OPP
orator of the telephone switchboard in
the prison Office. Both men have been
closely identified with tho warden's
elf-government plans and both have
had access to the prison once and the
warden's Office.
Warden Sees Jury Foreman.
Warden Osborne and his attorney ar
rived at the District Attorneys office
shortly before the grand jury began its
session He was in ten-minute con-
ference with Andrew B. Buchanan.
foreman Of the jury, in which he re-
uewed his invitation for the jurors to
visit Sing Sing and discussed with him
the question OF the missing records.
These records. Mr. Merchant pointed
out, were not required by the state,
and were kept by the convicts for the
administration OF their own legal af-
fairs in the prison court. They were
always held until the persons tried had
declined or taken advantage OF their
right Of appeal to the warden. After
this the convict court officials. who had
complete charge Of them, stacked them
in a corner of the courtroom.
when the warden was notified that the
grand jury desired TO consult these rec
ords, he gathered together all Of them
that he could find and took them TO
Westchester. These we're Of no incon
siderable bulk, and they covered only
the last three months Of the courts OPP
orations. The earlier records were
probably carried away and destroyed in
A.
Meanwhile, the warden himself is
most anxious 70 take the stand, but
had received no information as to
when ne may he called. In his letter.
which the District Attorney received
yesterday morning, the warden said:
81 desire 10 confirm the request
made on my behalf by Mr.. Merchant
this mOrning-that be allowed to APP
pear in person before the grand jury
Of Westchester County, now inquiring
into Sing Sing conditions.
81 understand that you have ex-
pressed to Mr.. Merchant your intention
10 ssk me 10 appear. and have sug-
gested 20 the grand jury that they call
me, and that the foreman has since
assured you that he will extend this
opportunity to me.
while | recognize that II is the
right Of the grand jury to visit Sing
Sing. | beg 70 offer them through you
every facility at all times TO make q
complete inspection and, In fact. TO
urge them to do so as soon as they
conveniently can.
Truly yours, T. NJ. OSBORNE"