The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-29
INDICTMENTS NEAR
IN JAIL SCANDAL
Utica Grand Jury Expected to
Fix Blame for Orgies
There.
THREE WOMEN INVOLVED

UTICA. july 2s.-The Grand Jury
which for several weeks has been In
~vestigating alleged s~candalous condi-
tons prevailing In Oneida county jail.
this city. early In the present year and
said to involve several Jail attaches.
other county officials and women prison.
ers, is expected to hand down it's fnd-
ings tomorrow or Friday. Dozens OF
witnesses have been sworn before the
Grand Jury by Warwick ]. Herman, spe-
Ola District Attorney. Sensational reve-
lations are expected.
Harry j. Moss. a Republican, ssumed
the office OF Sheriff January l3 last, and
the conditions complained OF developed
In March. 1t is understood, however,
that Sheriff Moss is not personally in
volved In the stories OF orgies, but be.
cause he was the responsible head he
may be placed in an embarrassing posi.
ton.
The hrst revelation OF conditions in
the Jail developed after Roy Rupert, a
youthful prisoner, had an interview with
his attorney early In March. Ruppert
was serving a term for grand larceny In
connection with the robbing OF a Mo-
hawk citizen In a local rooming house
This afternoon County Clerk Charles
Wenzel was called and produced the
books In his office showing the appoint-
ments OF Oneida county officials and
their oaths of office.
z. Stagg Within, professor OF social
legislation tn Columbia University and
chairman or the executive board OF the
national Committee on Prisons and Pr,s-
on Labor. said yesterday that the in
~Nestigation OF the Oneida county TAIL at
ouca. which Is being conducted by a
Grand jury, was the climax OF work nv
the prison committee on scandals In the
Jail administration.
IT was commonly believed throughout
the city oil Utica that the jail was the
seat or serious scandal said Mr..
Whitin. Il presume the Grand Jury will
either bring In a presentment with re-
sard TO the management of the Jail or
bring In Indictments, Our committee il
anxious TO do all II can to better prison
conditions throughout the ountr and
any one familiar with county Jails-for
example. n one acquainted with the
history of the Nassau county jail at
Mineola-knows that most of them are
disgracefully conducted.
we have agents and representatives
throughout the country who are con-
stantly reporting the facts to us, and at
present a subcommittee, headed by
Hastings +. Hart of the Sage Fouuda-
tion. is making a thorough investigation
OF county tails and other nsttut Sons
We intend to do all that is possible to
clean up these places.
1T must be remembered. with regard
to the women In the Oneida county fail,
that any misconduct laid open the public
officials and others involved to charges
OF a most serious nature. and this quite
regardless of the women's age or
whether or not they acquiesccd.
Judge De Angels, TO whom the Grand
Jury will report, took the Investigation
OF the jail entirely out Of the hands of
District Attorney Bradley Fuller and
appointed Warwick j, Herman a special
District Attorney to conduct II.
"Our committee made It's own prellm-
mary investigation and among other evil
dence obtained the affidavit OF a woman
who had been detained In the jail as a
material witness, Mind you, she was
not even "A prisoner accused OF crime,
Her affidavit was taken In New York"
The reports In Utica were that tho
jail was constantly the scene OF orgies
participated In by three women confined
there. Public officials and men of prom
inence In Utica were named as involved.
The National Committee on Prisons
and Prison Labor In now headed by
Adolph I.ewisohn. Thomas Mott Os-
borne was president OF It until he be-
came warden VI Sing Sing prison. .