Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-25
STRIPED ARTISTS BEHIND BARS.
Excellent PrOGress of the COnvicts in
the Art Class at Sing Sing Prison.

Excellent PrOGress of the COnvicts in
the Art Class at Sing Sing Prison.
| From the Philadelphia Ledger
Go to Sing Sing and you will begin to
| think that genius and crime go hand in
| hand. There is young man wearing
stripes who has, alone and unaided, made
| the largest reed organ in the world. There
| Is another who is decorating the chapel
with sculptures of his own devising There
are instructors in art so efficient and pu-
pils-a half hundred of them-so apt that
the record Of the latter's progress would
be considered marvellous in the most IA
| nous academies of America or Europe
And there are tutors of languages and pu-
pills OF the same who can render an equally
good account of themselves
The discovery of these latent ATTITUDES
vas not made until recently. The new con-
stituticn OF New York. which went into eff
feet at the beginning of this year, abolished
all convict labor that produced work COM
petmg with tradesmen and laborers in the
outside world. The whole prison was
thrown into gloom and despair One man
even committed suicide rather than face
NE OF enforced idleness. Insanity was
feared for the others. cry went up for
relief.
Then Warden Sage had happy idea. He
would teach his charges trades and pro-
laDor, II any, would not be disposed of In
the open market, but used up within the
prison.
An art class was the first result of this
inspiration. 1t seemed unlikely that even
long-term men in Sing Sing who had never
previously given any sign of artistic genius
could be turned at will into powerful rivals
VI Chdse or La farSe. or even threaten TO
GUST from their positions that splendid ap-
sregation of talent which adorns the papes
OF me daily and Sunday press So a class
OF h1ty was started. 1t was put IN charge
VI German convict. young man of I'M
usual intelligence, who had learned art in
one OF the greatest academies Of the old
world A class in typesetting and printing
was primarily established under the care
Vi an ola cempositor and pressman The
members print all the prison documents
and also do such work for the state as will
not initiate against the constitutional rro-
visions. Other classes are taught To nro-
a9ce SHOES and clothes to supply the wants
CT the prisons and other Institutions No
less than 800 men were nut to cut,inp
stone. Thus work was found for over 400
out OF the 1,4O0 men in Sing Sing. Unless
tne legislature interferes, Warden Sage
hopes before long to have every man work
ing and SO avoid the overhangine horror
OF insanity which idleness might engea5er
me latest development in this humane
plan mas been the establishment of a lee
tureship in modern languages. 1t was the
members Of the art class who finding that
their daily labors left them several ho,rs
OF idleness. petitioned for the privilege of
having some of their spare time filled in
by lessons in French and Spanish.
ny French and Spanish?
Because South America is the oast nlaca
In the world for an ex-convict who has re-
formed and proposes to make an honest
living. Now, in South America Spanish ia
spoken by the natives, and French is a
universal passport
me warden acceded to the request He
found among the convicts two men who
were quaiihed to give the necessary in