Evening star., 1946-04-10

guard" the officer replied.
Does Mr.. Botkin run the Jail or
does some clique of guards?" the
chairman insisted.
Capt. Sweeney replied that he had
always thought Mr.. Botkin ran it
and still thought so. "All this is
news to me-" he added.
Testifies About Medley Package.
Another Jail officer, 1t. Joseph
Camden, testified regarding a pack
age that was sent into Medley. 1t
Camden pointed out that the pack
age had contained nothing Medley
was not allowed to have except a
small key, which he could not have
used to get out of the Jail. The key
got in through some mistake, the
officer explained. He denied that
the package had not been inspected
1t. Camden said Mr.. Gill used
"profane words" once in talking to
him over the phone. The witness
said the penal director said he was
tired of not having his orders car
ried out.
1t. Camden said he refused to sign
the petition against Mr.. Gill. He
added that he was asked to sign it,
but would not do so because he
thought it was bad policy to sign
something attacking a superior
officer.
Mr.. Gill charged late yesterday
that "at least" II Jail guards were
on the payroll of the two prisoners
involved in the swindle.
For four months the prisoners
used the Jail to conduct their busi-
ness, received visits from vice lords
corresponded with prominent citi-
zens, gave wild parties. came and
went from the Jail at will, Mr.. Gill
said.
New Solution Proposed.
The suspended penal superintend-
ent offered an entirely new solution,
the third suggested so far, for dis
graceful" conditions that made 1t
possible for Mcfarland and Medley
to escape.
He recommended placing admin
istration of the penal system under
the District Court and dividing
financial control between the Fed
eral and the District Government.
This would not only eliminate the
Board of Public Welfare, now ad-
ministering penal institutions, but
would take budget control from the
Commissioners and place it in the
Department of Justice, he later
pointed out to reporters.
Questioned by Representative
Combs, Democrat, of Texas, Mr.. Gill
opposed the idea of putting felony
prisoners under the Federal Bureau
Of Prisons on the ground that rob
bers, murderers and rapists" as
signed to the jail differ completely
from the type Of offender now han
died by the FBP.
Placing full authority over prisons
under the Commissioners, as pro-
vided in a bill now before Congress
would be "a step forward" he con-
ceded. But Mr. Gill favored taking
the thorny prison problem on the
neck OF the commissioners"
Reorganization Urged.
A complete reorganization of the
correctional fabric of the District
is needed, he insisted. Expressing
the opinion that laymen can not
administer correctional matters, he
urged abolition of the independent
Parole Board as well as the Welfare
Board.
Mr.. Hebert announced he would
ask the Districts corporation coun.
sci to reopen the case against Law
renee A. Howard, Jail guard dis
charged after the November "a es.
capes, when Mr.. Gill said he was
certain there was "collusion between
the staff and the escapes"
Howard was arrested on a charge
Of shaking down" the wife OF one
of the men who escaped, but thu
case was nolle pressed after the Dis.
trict failed to obtain q conviction
against Jail trusty accused of de.
livering q saw blade handed him b,
the wife, Mr.. Gill recalled.
And as 1 recall, the star wit.
nesses in the trusty's favor were
prison officials, Mr.. Hebert re.
marked. Don't you think it i.
strange that jail officials would &c
down and try to get prisoner OH. ,