New Britain herald., 1916-01-21
RILEY REMOVED BY
 GOVERNOR WHITMAN
'DepOsed as New York Superin-
 tendent Of Prisons
ON CHARGES OF MISCONDUCT
Successor Will Be Named Next Week 70. E. Potter Will Be Temporarily in Charge of PcnitcnGary Depart mcnt.

in Charge of PcnitCntiary Depart
 mcnt.
 Albany, N. Y, Jan. 21.-John B. Riley, state superintendent of prisons, was removed from office today by Gov ernor Whitman, who in lengthy sopinicn sustained the charges of mis- conduct in office, preferred by him. self on January 8.
 The governor said that Riiey's per manent successor would be named next week and in the meantime Owen L. Potter, who is attached to the ex- ecutive chamber with the title of eX- ecutive legal assistant, will be tenn porarily in charge of the prison de- partmcnt.
 Riley Issues Statement.
 IreTn ediately after the order of re- nnoval was served on Riley, the de- posed superintendent issued state iii ert, in which he said:
 EIn aIl lis advice regarding prison affairs, Governor Whitman has ca toreti to maudlin sentimentalists, rath- CT than the public interest or the wei fare of the prisoners. In acceoing to the demand for my removal by CO., terie of millionaires and other well iltentioned persons who know nothing about prisons, and who have only the most vague motions Of prison condl- tioEs being victims of an cratic Vls1on- sT0. he has shown himself to be des- Itutc of courage to discharge his duty regardless of public clamor, char Rcteristic which every official must possess if he is to command and retaln the respect of fellow citizens Ills covert attempt to intimidate the dls- trict attorney of Weschester county and his witnesses, constitutes a shame less cowardly exhibition of his power as chief magistrate"
 Evidence Sustains Charge.
 In an opinion, which accompanied the order for removal, Governor Whitman held that the evidence con- corning recent order by Supt. Riley for the transfer of sixty six prison CTS from Sing Sing to Clinton Prison sustained the charge of misconduct. f Quoting from a letter written by Riley I on Nov. 1 last to Thomas Mott Os- | borne, at that time warden of Sing | Sing. that transfer to Clinton Prison, l except in the case of tuberculosis, was regarded as punishment, the governor said that Riley either was. knowingly l and willingly a party to a plan con- ceived for the purpose of affecting 9 criminal trial, by including in the /, transfer of prisoners those who are to be witnesses for the defense in the 1 trial of the indictments pending against Osborne, or the conditions of the superintendent's office were such that This wholly reprehensible thing" as the governor termed it, could be brought about by his sigma ture and without his knowledge.
 Agreement Reached.
 Ut was distinctly understood,'' the opinion says, that when the present warden of Sing Sing George w. Kirchwey) took charge that the situa- ton, so far as the so-called Osborne controversy was concerned, should not be disturbed until the conclusion of the trial; that the district attor- ney and the counsel for the defense should have free access to the prison and to the witnesses, as occasion might require.
 ''This order, made on the very eve of a criminal trial served notice to every convict in Sing Sing that he would be sent to prison for incor- rigibles for punishment should he dare to become a witness in behalf of the defendant"
 Condition Into1erable.
 In conclusion, the opinion states that Supt. Riley has accomplished many good things in the management of prisons in this state. I think he has done much to bring humane methods and practices into the man. ngement of our penal institutions, and ] think the public in indebted to him for what he has tried to accomplish and what he has accomplished in the past, but : believe that the condi- tion which this examination reveals in the prison department is intoler- able"
 Although Riley's successor will not be named until next week. it is un- derstood that the governor has de- termfned upon Frank E. Wade, of Buffalo, vice president of the state probation commission, and vice presi- dent of the state prison commission.