The sun., 1919-07-01
hat the jail be reorsanl.ed in every

that the Jail be reorganised in every
respect.
Nassau county JAIL" said Commits
sioner Solomon. us conducted more like
a kindergarten than a jail. and we shall
make a report to the effect that the
suicide OF DR.. wilkins was possible only
because of the fragrant neglect of duty
by those responsible for his safe keeping.
by this 1 do not mean neglect by the
subordinates who should have remained
on constant duty outside his cell door
and seen to II that he did not harm him.
self. The trouble lies much deeper than
that. The commission of which 1 am
member has made a number OF untavor-
able reports against conditions In Nassau
Jail. and only a short time ago. after
protracted investigation. we obtained an
order to show cause. returnable In the
Supreme Court, calling on Nassau county
authorities to explain why conditions In
the Jail were as they were. The hear
ings on the order are not concluded yet
but when they are we expect that sub
stantial changes in the Jail itself and In
the Jail management will be ordered.
From the hearing before us to-day
| we have learned that DR.. wilkins was
not properly searched after the verdict
OF murder in the first degree was rem
dered against him. and that after he
|
assigned to a cell on a corridor where
| nine other men were kept and that he
and the other nine men all enjoyed the
| freedom of the corridor in common. 1t
Is practically conceded that at the
moment he left his cell and made his
way to the wash room where he huns
himself there was no one on guard out
side his door and that he was not missed
until at least five minutes after he LETT
his cell.
No Proper Search Made.
I'VE understand also that he was al
lowed to bring number OF books ana
papers to his cell after he was arrested
and while he was awaiting trial and we
cannot learn that any Of his effects were
properly searched at any time while ne
was in Jail. He might have concealed
the rope with which he hanged himself
either in a book from which the pages
had been gouged or in the cot In his cell.
This cot had two mattresses and we
have not been able to find that any one
looked between the mattresses
I'm addition to all OF this. the pro-
vision OF the prison law which requires
that prisoners of different classes he
kept separate in county jails seems to
have been long a dead letter in Nassau.
for there we found that men held for
felony and misdemeanor and men serv-
ing short time sentences and Federal
prisoners were allowed to mirgle indis-
criminately. One Federal Judge has told
me that he will never send another
prisoner to Mineola- I leafn also that
at one time last winter there were 116
prisoners at Mineola confined in thirty
six cells"
Mr.. Weeks inquired last night OF the
world at large how any commonwealth
could expect perfect discharge OF duty
from men who were paid only $500 a
year, which Is the wage drawn by I'M
der keepers at Mineola. The head
keeper, Charles Hulse, who Is away on
a vacation, has been relieved from duty
along with his subopiinates
Mr.. Weeks is under no legal duty OF
seeing to the safeguarding of prisoners
where he Ia the prosecuting officer, bu,
feels keenly the situation which has
been brought about through the death OF
DR.. Wilkins. He will request subpoena
for several persons whom he desires as
witnesses at Coroner Jones's hearing to.
day, among them Lewis G. Freiss, one
Of DR.. Wilkins's lawyers. to whom DR.
wilkins tried to pass small scissors. OF
the kind used by manicures. when he
was searched just after his jury found
him guilty. Mr.. Freiss promptly called
the attention OF one of the prison keep.
ers to the scissors and did not himself
touch them.
DR.. Wilkns's body still lies at Cor
nells morgue at Hampstead. Unless
some one OF DR.. Wilkins's friends or
relatives, II he has any. claims It. Mr.
Freiss will take charge OF 1t and ar
range for Its cremation, as DR.. wilkins
requested in one of the notes he wrote
the afternoon before he killed himself.