The New York herald., 1921-10-09
WORKHOUSE ARREST
ANSWER TO GILROY
Keeper With a Drug Horde Is
Seized as Candidate Asks
Questions Of Hylan.
GROSS ABUSES ALLEGED
Long List of Charges Made,
Most Of Which Are Denied
by Dr.. Hamilton.

Asserting that he was going to tell
him what was going on In the Depart
ment Of Correction, Of which DR.. James
a. Hamilton is Commissioner, Vincent
Gilroy. Coalition candidate for President
Of the Board of Aldermen, yesterday
addressed series Of questions to Mayor
Hylan intimating that there were gross
abuses In the administration of the city's
penal institutions. Commissioner Ham
iIton denied every charge. one OF which
was that inmates we're permitted to have
narcotics.
mo stronger answer to Mr.. Gilroy's
questions could be made, said the
Commissioner. than what happened
this morning when Timothy p. Donovan.
storekeeper In the workhouse for fe-
males at Blackwells Island, was arrested
by acting Warden Joseph A. McCann,
who found he had two pounds Of NOR
phine.
7 Donovan. who had been under sur
veillance for two months. was imme-
diately suspended"
Donovan was taken to the East
Sixty seventh street station charged
with the possession Of drugs Later the
charge was changed to that of taking
drugs into city institution. and he
will be arraigned In the Yorkville court
this morning.
When acting Warden Mccain was
asked II any other employees on the
island had been arrested within the last
six months he said he was certain there
had been other arrests. but that he was
unable to give the names of the en-
ployees arrested or any details concern
ing the cases. Commissioner Hamilton
he declared, was the only person VINO
could furnish that information. The
Commissioner could not be reached last
night.
h Mr.. Gilroy began his statement by
saying:
"In his glowing account of what had
been done by the Mayors Committee on
This and the Mayors Committee on
That. whose efforts on behalf Of the
people of New York were solely con-
cerned in advertising the Mayor, Mr..
Hylan seems to have overlooked some
things in the Department Of Correction.
I am going to tell him what is going on
there. Let him or his commissioner
answer these questions:
Il. Is 1t not fact that member OF
Hsmilton's political club. who left Harts
Island, charged with bringing in drugs,
as reported In the State prison report
was rcappointed to Rikers Island at an
increase in salary?
'2. Is 1t not fact that Vincent Null
holland, member OF Hamilton's political
club, was appointed head night keeper
over the heads of number OF veterans
and that favortism and not service is
the rule in this department?
"2. Is it not fact that a keeper
named Conroy who was dismissed from
the Jefferson Market prison after fail
ing to search prisoner who killed him
self with a gun. was reinstated as q
keeper on Rikers Island with salary
increase from $1,000 to $3.50 q year?
"a. Is 1t not fact that this same
Conroy is captain in Hamiton's club and
that keepers must belong to Hamilton s
club to obtain prsferment or even JUS
tice?
as. Is IL not fact that heroin and
other drugs are freely railroaded int1
Rikers Island. and that from May ia
the middle of August this year the night
rioting and fighting continued .njnter-
ruptedly and that no effort was made by
Commissioner Hamilton to remove this
disgrace to New York's corrective instl-
tutions?
"6. Is II not fact that on the nigh,
OF May Is, 1921. the inmates in tho
tlormitories on Rikers Island threw GUS
pidors. glasses aud dishes az the keepers
and that when complaint Of t.i'o was
made to Deputy Commissioner William
Dalton the keepers were told that tn.
Commissioner doesn't want to hear any
thing about ths?'
~. Is It not a fact that keepers on
Eilxers Island who point out to the head
keeper inmates actually using needles
and drugs in their cots at night are in
variably told: Mind your own business.
What can l dor
"S. Is it not a fact that drug addicts
leave Rikers Island far worse than
when they entered because of the alb