Evening star., 1924-01-22
lAlAlWAYSOpEN,
AGENTSDECLARE
Testify at Trial of Upper
Marlboro Substitution
of Prisoners.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star
BALTIMORE. Md, January .2
Prisoners of the Upper Marlboro iaiI
were not only privileged to get drunk,
hut brought their wives to the iaiI,
agents OF the Department of Justice
testified today in United States court
here. The Jail was a Jail IN name
only, agents said; tic warden and
Jailor were seldom to be found on
the premises. while tho cells and
doors we're usually unlocked and tAc
prisoners walked around the grouuu
often severely intoxicated" the fed
eral men declared
The agents testified when trial was
resumed this morning against J. Ar
thur Sweeney. former sheriff Of
Prince Georges county. and Everett L
punphrew, former deputy sheriff, Gro
yer G. Hall and John G Stafford
charged with conspiracy to obstruct jus
ttce. when Hall is alleged to have sub
ford
when Humphrey took the stand at
noon he declared that he knew moth
ing about the substitution.
mere was no particular hardship
attached to substituting for a prison
er at the jan," said William II car
toll on the stand He explained that
with agent Allison G. jenkins he
went 70 the institution for an in
speetion on May l2 and told Of tho
Jail.
The first thing we saw when We
GOT there was man lying on the
nsneh out in the yard The agent
saia' we thought he was asleep, but
soon fouftd that he was drunk. stu
,pidty drunk. We asked him his name
ana he said he had none He was
'.ou in the yard we saw number
OF empty whisky bottles. There verc
a few drops Of corn whisky in them
The agent said he asked for the
warden or the Taller and was told
the warden is Marie Wilson. the
cotored woman who cooks for the
prisoners. and when he asked Tor
her ne wac told that she had gone
TO baltimore 60 market
Prisoners in the jail at Timer
marlboro had no trouble in getting
all the whisky they wanted. sDeut
nishts at dances and III hotels and
were given keys when they went out
according to testimony yesterday aft
ernoon
Harry r. Ridge of Baltimore, ?
FORMER prisoner at the time Stafford
was supposed 10 be serving his term.
testihed that he went ont frequently
to tinker with his automobilc H
slept in the hotel at Upper Marlboro,
jail
Ridge on the witness stand related
his story of how keeper named Tay-
men furnished him with a key when
ne went to a dance In the neighbor-
hood. His recital included details OF
how prisoners went 20 Washington
many times. On one ocra sion he and
another prisoner went to Washington
and when they returned, he testified,
found themselves locked out
They had to beat at the locked por-
tails until they woke the assistant
Jaiier, he said. They were finally ad
Inittpd, he testified. and were given q
at night
The keeper, in flowing "nightic."
unlocked the door. and the hilarious
prisoners went off to bed in their
cells.
Grover c. Hall. the prisoner who adj
rnitted he was substituted for stat
fore, testified that he was feasted al
the gail at the expense of the mau
whose place he was filling. He Was
provided with liquor, he said and
under questioning by District Attor-
ney Woodcock, declared he was un-
entire time.
After Department of Justice agents
came to the jail, he said, Sheriff
Sweeney told him he would have to
get out. RE SaId that he was plSt
ing cards, and that ne said he would
be ready to go as soon as the game
was over
Stafford. who was indicted in the
alleged conspiracy. failed to appear
He already has forfeited bail of 2,Oa1
in the case. Hall entered a plea OF
guilty when he was arraigned as tho
substituted prisoner. His sentence
was postponed
The Vireinian. who has since been
arrested on additional charges and
whose bail has been forfeited in
these also, was sentenced to three
months in the Prince Georges Jail
last April for the manufacture and
illegal possession of liquor He was
taken to the Jail by deputy and
two days later Hall is alleged te
have assumed his place in cell
Early In May the federal author
ties began an investigation, which
resulted In the indictments by tn
federal grand Jury.