Evening star., 1946-02-26
Kogod Charges
Gill Saw Plan
To Blame Board
Penal Heads Story
: Hit Commissioners,
Witness Declares
By julia Edwords

tions, was accused today Of tell
ing the Institutions Committee
of the Board of Public Welfare
that the District Commissioners
were trying to throw the blame
for the escape of five prisoners
from the District Jail on the
Welfare Board.
Fred S. Kogod, member of the
Institutions Committee, told board
of inquiry hearing the Welfare
Boards case for the dismissal of
MIR. Gill that the penal superinten-
dent made the statement "of the
record" to explain why he sat in on
meetings of a committee Investigate
ing the jailbreak.
The jailbreak occurred Novem-
ber "a. The Institutions Commit
tee asked Mr.. Gill on November 26
to submit report on the jailbreak
by November 80, Mr.. Kogod said.
After failing to receive the report,
the Institutions Committee got the
Commissioners to send 100 police
to conduct shakedown, or search,
OF the jail the night of December
3, he continued No one at the
jail, he reported, was told of this
action.
Claims Orders Ignored.
The Institutions Committee en-
tered the Jail December and
learned that Mr.. Gill had sat in on
an inquiry into the jailbreak in vio-
lation of orders issued by the COM
mittee, Mr.. Kogod reported.
HE said he was only trying to
protect the Welfare Board. He felt
the Commissioners sent the police
in for the purpose of throwing the
entire blame on u.s." he declared.
When the Institutions Commit
tee demanded that Mr.. Gill make
his statement for the record, "he
changed his entire story" the wit
ness charged.
Under cross examination, Mr..
Kogod said he did not remember
Mr.. Gill including in his statement
for the record that the presence of
police might initiate to the disad-
vantage of the board"
Memory Is Refreshed.
John j. Wilson, defense attorney
then read the stenographic report
of the meeting. Mr.. Kogod said
that refreshed his memory. He did
recall that Mr.. Gill had made the
statement for the record. He also
recalled that Mr.. Gill said he would
not be able to give the board a re-
port on the jailbreak unless he
could keep up with the progress of
the inquiry.
After completing its investigation,
the Institutions Committee met the
evening of December and issued
orders for Mr.. Gill to clean up the
jail, Mr.. Kogod recalled. The fol-
lowing day, he said, the Institutions
Committee decided to recommend
suspension of Mr. Gill on the ground
that ito make the Jail safe and
TO put it in order, it was necessary
to remove Mr.. Gill"
Mr.. Wilson wanted to know Just
what the Institution Committee
meant by its order to Mr.. Gill to
clean up the jail"
I'VE wanted him to stop robbing
men from one department to be
used in another. We wanted him
to stop using guards for such things
as his alcoholic clinic or any of his
other crazy ideas" the witness re-
piled.
Questions "Crazy Ideas"
Mr.. Wilson's insistence that Mr..
Kogod elaborate on the "other crazy
ideas" evoked three-way debate,
with corporation counsel objecting
vigorously to the question.
The defense was sustained. and
Mr.. Kogod answered: well, such
unsound ideas as exercising men in
the dining hall"
Queried as to whether he meant
crazy" "unsound" or incorrect, !"
Mr.. Kogod retorted: well, I'll say
incorrect if that is what you want
me to say"
In answer to another defense uues-
ton, MIR. Kogod said that the Wei
fare Board at a meeting on Novem-
Der 30 did not discuss the question
OF Mr.. Gill's staying away from the
investigation meeting. Edgar Nor
r1s, Welfare Board chairman, testi-
fed Saturday that Mr. Gill was given
instructions at that meeting to stay
out of the inquiry. The testimony
of the two Welfare Board members
agreed, however, that the Institu-
tions Committee told Mr.. Gill to stay
out of the meetings November 26
and again November %.
Mr.. Kogod reported that, while the
Welfare Board received a report on
a construction program for the Jail
at its meeting November 30, it did
not receive report on the escapes
until the night of December 4.
When the Institutions Committee
was leaving the jail the afternoon
of December 4, Mr.. Gill turned to
MIR. Kogod in the presence of re-
porters and asked: did you read
the report I gave Mr.. Huff Cray L.
Huff, director Of welfare) on the
JeAbA Sdh IiiSdy' Gllc WlGIlGSS SdlQ.
"The next morning it appeared in
all the newspapers that Mr.. Gill had
given Mr.. Huff a report which Mr..
Huff had kept from the Welfare
Board" Mr.. Kogod said. Actually.
he said, the only report made by
Mr.. Gill was on the construction
program and that had been given
to the Welfare Board.
Mr.. Kogod said the reason the In
stitutions Committee did not want
Mr.. Gill to sit in on the inquiry of
the jailbreak was that I'VE didn't
want any whitewash. We wanted
the investigating committee to feel
free to gather all the vital informa-
ton without the restraining pres
ence of their superiors."
Denied Fear Of "Whitewash."
Under cross-examination, he de-
MED that he had any fear that Mr..
Gill would want to "whitewash''
anybody.
Then just what harm did you
think his presence would cause?"I
Mr.. Wilson asked.
Waiter M. Bastian, chairman of
u