Evening star., 1946-04-10

think it was good practice to have
one key to fit two doors.
At one point, Mr.. Botkin told the
committee that at no time since he
has been in charge of the jail have
members of the Board of Public
Welfare made top-to-bottom in
vestigation of the Jail. In charge of
the Jail since June, 1914, Mr.. Botkin
said that members of the welfare
board had visited the Jail, but had
not given it thorough inspections.
He added that his own staff has
periodically given the Jail thorough
inspections.
At this point, Mr.. Simpson re-
ferred to the police "shakedown" of
the Jail following the escape last
November of five men in which vari-
Gus files, pipes and other instru-
ments were found Mr.. Botkin re-
piled that these instruments were
left over from construction and re-
pair work done in the Jail.
Jail Force Under Strain.
do you think that failure to un-
cover this debris by those in charge
of the Jail was good supervision"
asked Mr.. Hebert.
NO." Mr.. Botkin said.
Mr.. Hebert asked the witness:
whats your opinion of Jail disci-
pline at the present time?"
Under the circumstances it is not
bad" he replied. You must re-
member the men are under terrific
strain. They realize the dangers We
are facing and the struggle We have
to hold the place together"
do you call guards in unbuttoned
uniforms, smoking cigarettes, good
discipline?" asked Mr.. Hebert.
Mr.. Botkin replied that in some
cases it was impossible for the
guards to button their coats because
they do not fit properly. He said the
Jail had no money to buy new uni
forms. AS to smoking, he said the
guard smoking cigar when men,
bers of the committee paid sur
prise visit to the Jail was off duty
and had volunteered to show the
members around the jail.
Two captains Of the guard at
District Jail, Murphy and Benjamin
E. Sweeney, who had been named by
Mr.. Gill as members of a clique Of
officials once dominated by Nc
Glynn, denied knowledge Of what
Chairman Hebert called "the Nc
Glynn affair"
Capt. Murphy said he was once
investigated and exonerated of all
charges.
Morale Break Laid to Gill.
Pressed by committee members
to explain the recent jailbreaks,
Capt. Murphy blamed both of them
indirectly on a breakdown of dis
cipline among the guards, which
he attributed to some of the orders
issued by Mr.. Gill. The witness ex-
planned that there was some trouble
over the use of the dining room as
a recreation hall for prisoners.
do you charge Mr.. Gill with
breaking down the morale of prison
employes?" Mr.. Herbert demanded.
Il do" said Capt. Murphy.
Capt. Murphy said he was one of
IA guards who signed a round
robin" urging the dismissal of Mr..
Gill.
If Mr.. Gill had not interfered with
Mr.. Botkin's orders, Medley and
Mcfarland would have been locked
securely in their cells, and would
not have escaped, Capt. Murphy told
the committee.
Tells Of Argument.
'"The Police Department" he add
ed, "is not trained to guard men. u
He thus referred to the fact that
two metropolitan policemen were
guarding Medley and Mcfarland
when they escaped.
Capt. Murphy said the only argu-
ment he had with Mr.. Gill was
when he was placing fractions pris-
oners in a detention cell in the base
ment and Mr.. Gill interfered and
countermanded this disciplinary
measure. The guard captain said
he told Mr.. Gill: "It was a question
OF either controlling the jail or let
ting the prisoners take over"
Capt. Sweeney said he signed the
petition asking the custer of Mr.
Gill. He explained that he signed
1t in an automobile about a block
from the Jail, where a number ot
the guards had arranged to meet
Capt. Sweeney estimated that SO
per cent OF the guards signed the
round robin.
Are you familiar with the Nc
Glynn AFFAIR."" asked Chairman
Hebert.
II don't know what you mean by
the McGlynn affair."" Capt. Sweeney
replied.
II think you know what I mean, II
the chairman snapped.
We'll I was at the jail when he
was there" Capt Sweeney said
adding that he knew nothing about
the trouble in which the former
assistant superintendent was in
volved."
Capt. Sweeney explained that he
went in the Army in 1912 and did
not return to the Jail until after the
war.
Are you part of a clique that
runs the jail?" the chairman in
quired.
i I'm still only q captain of the