The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-01-22
Governor Charges a Prison
Official with Mis-
conduct
RILEY CALLS COWS
ACT COWARDLY
A Surrender to Sentimental
lists, His Parting
Shot

Albany, n. Y, Jan. 22.--John 3. Ri
ey. state superintendent of prisons, wa
removed from Office yesterday by Gov
ernor Whitman, who, in a lengthy opin
ion, sustained the charges of misconduc
in office preferred by himself on Jan. $
The governor said that Riley's per
manent successor would be named mex
week, and In the meantime Owen l.
Potter, who is attached 10 the executive
chamber with the title of executive lega
assistant, will be temporarily in charge
of the prison department.
Immediately after the order of remoy
al was served on Riley, the deposed SUI
perintendent issued statement in which
he said
SIN all his advice regarding prison af-
| fairs. Governor Whitman has catered Ia
maudlin sentimentalists, rather than the
public interest or the welfare of the pris-
oners. In acceding to the demand for
my removal by coterie of millionaires
and other well-intentioned persons who
know nothing about prisons, and who
have only the most vague notions OF
prison conditions, being the victims of
an erratie visionary, he has shown him
self to be destitute of courage to dis
charge his duty regardless of public clam
or, Characteristic which every official
must possess if he is to command and re-
tain the respect of fellow citizens. His
covert attempt to intimidate the district
attorney Of Westchester county, and his
witnesses, constituted a shameless, cow
ardly exhibition OF his power as chief
magistrate"
In an opinion which accompanied the
order for removal, Governor Whitman
held that the evidence concerning a re-
cent order by Superintendent Riley for
the transfer of &c prisoners from Sing
Sing to Clinton sustained the charge Of
misconduct. Quoting from a letter writ
ten by Riley on Nov. | last to Thomas
Mott Osborne, at that time warden of
Sing Sing. that transfer TO Clinton pris-
on, except in the case of tuberculosis,
was regarded as punishment, the gov
ernor said that Riley either was know
ingly and willingly a party to a plan
conceived for the purpose OF effecting
criminal trial, by including in the trans
fer of prisoners those who are to be
witnesses for the defense in the trial of
the indictments pending against Osborne,
or the conditions of the superintendent
Office were such that "this wholly repre-
hensible thing" as the governor termed
it, could be brought about by his sigma
ture and without his knowledge.
at was distinctly understood" the |
opinion says, that when the present war
den OF Sing Sing, George w. Kirehwey, /
took charge the situation, so far as the I
SO called Osborne controversy was con-
,erned, should not be disturbed until the
for the defense should have free
access to the prison and to the witnesses,
rs occasion might require.
"This order, made on the very eve Of
| criminal trial, served notice to every
convict in Sing Sing that he would be
sent to prison for incorrigibles for
punishment should he dare TO become a
witness in behalf of the defendant"
In conclusion. the opinion states that
Riley has accomplished
many good things in the management OF
PRISONS in this state. | think he has
lone much to bring humane methods and
PRACTICES into the management of our
,enal institutions, and think the pub
ic is indebted to him for what he has
accomplished in the past, but / believe
hat the condition which this examina-
ion reveals in the prison department is
utolerable,"