The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23
MRS, SAGE'S PRISON WORK.
.ypERIEyCES THAT FALL TO THE
LOT OF FEW WOMEN.

rIuCF'N Inst DHyH-NuHlS SouNtCtb VINO
us,a,n Love for Their Mothers.
", one woman IN a million has had or will
..,t have certain experiences which have late
,.o,rs into tho life Of Mrs. o. V. Sage. wife OF
A., warden Of Sing Sing Prison. Twice Mrs.
s,,o has lived for months in daily association
IL n woman who was awaiting death as a
E,,ishn.u. for the crime OF murder. These
r,msn learned TO regard her as their friend.
ono n, them Is still alive. The other died in
u,ooctrir chair a few weeks ago. They were
Maria Barueti and Martha Place.
Iopr and a half years ago Mrs. Sage had
,.ysr been inside Of a prison. When her hus-
t,rd became acting Warden at Sing Sing she
IA not visit tho place. Even on his appoint
s.r, 10 tho Office sho went there simply on q
s,l, convinced that she could never live amid
,rh surroundings.
ppt the Wardrn's apartments are pleasant
,,I commoGious. While they are at u corner
1.-The actual prison quarters. they are shut of
,,,m SIGHT and sound Of most Of the 1.4O0 con-
,cts confined there. The gray stone walls Of
,ho house are covered with immense ropes OF
,.,aria AMI the grass OF the terrace and park
nv in front is a, close and smooth as II they
,,,e n great rafting green. There are keep
.s At the entrance. but they have a military
,,,ect which IS not unpleasing. Across tho
,ad on the brow NJ the hill is the old prison
trwomen. l. looks like an art gallery or a
rrsaum. with It's stately facade Of columns. 1t
wasn't by any means so repulsive as Mrs. Sage
,,d fancled it would be. and instead OF visit
he there, she settled down to an acceptance
cit as her temporary homo. She will soon
have it. Tor Mr. Sage has resigned now and a
rev Warden will take his place.
Mrs. Sage talked to a Sun representative the
,hsr day about the extent to which the prison
has affected her life OF the past four years.
,pecially about her experiences with Maria
B,rberi andiMrs. Place. A great many people
A, not know that q female criminals no longer
,pt TO Sing Sing unless she is condemned to
death. Women formerly occupied the pillared
! p,ison on the brow OF the hill. Now they go to
1 Auburn. The woman who is sent as q prisoner
10 Sing Sing goes with the knowledge that.
unless something happens to save her. she will
de there in the electric chair. Maria Barberi
k1ev this when she was takena away from New
York after her trial and sentence. The story
q, the vretched creatures fears should be told
IN Mrs. Sage's words.
When / first came here" she said. II was
punhappyo over the recent death OF an only
vster that ] really welcomed the complete
change OF environment. There were no
women prisoners then. and 1 did not have any
thing TO do with the men. l rarely do now. ex-
ept in cases where tho men are iE hospital.
The beginning OF my interest came one day
when the mother Of a prisoner came to see her
Don. She hadn't known he was here. Her
family and friends had deceived her about it
for a long time. but finally she simply had to
BE- .oId the truth. She came here at once and
raw the toy. but tainted. and was brought out
tortel her as much as ! could until she was
abe TO go. and after that | wrote TO her about
the hoy. aud always saw her when she
Came. It was the first Of many experiences
which have been almost SAD enough to break
ones heart.
After that I began going in 70 see the sick
friend and a help to them but, as there were
1900 prisoners and could not do anything for
Hnyoithem without making what might seem
the. AS they properly belong-tot the Warden's
care When Maria Barberi came. however. that
was difre rent. Sho was the only woman prls-
oNer and ! felt that ] had some duty In tho mat
Ter. She was ,pititully ignorant: so ignorant
that she could Do nothing; neither read nor
j write nor sew. She could only sit down and
wait. And she was afraid to do even that,
II soon made. mp my mind that she did not
Ike to st, down, hut az she could speak prncti,
Saly no English. aud Icquld not understand
Italian, the poor girl could not explain what
vas the matter. ] made up my, mind. finally.
that she was afraid to sit in a chair. because she
X N,hh'N''i " va NV WY WiNh Nv luIil'i III
which she was to die. | finally succeeded In re-
isslrlng her on that point. ami then l set to
work t" ind something for her to do. When
English. SO tried to teach her not only TO
ITtak English. but to read and write it as well,
bought a book which gave both the English and
he Italian words. so she could see what the
EoTds 10 the primer, really meant. or course,
have been very much simpler. As it was. 1t at
IT. seemed almost homeless. But in the time
mat Maria was, here she learned to speak and
understand English. by no means, perfectly.
s ! Sf to me- T"% noW, a a2r there asr u Is e fss sa4hifii ios
GknoTlnG that but for our lessons together
hers she might never have known how to read
orwrite,"
The r"p21rter remcmbers seeing and speak
Waiting for her second trial. She e. was crochet,
Hg industriously.. and. according, to Maria's
sstemept then. this was another thing taught
While Maria was here" continued the War
Gems wife. - Il did not talk to her about her
tn,epce or how shefelt about it. I wanted to
he was acquitted on tho second trial. 1 had
astcome up here and stay a week with me In
order to keep her out Of the hands OF dime
MMniIe she was here | asked her about her, feel
,iss Wnen she was condemned. l found out
E ESfdn q me sn 195tnT iSa she ,, had .t zone m,s through n H. She e
elair: but she was too ignorant to understand
, aSSS' x the details, and She had no idea that
n, x "Ouu, w any FORMALLY Oh law RDOut ~.
Ushe was simply terrified at the idea OF sit
,,nG down in any chair. She didn't know. but
VA shmlght be the time she would be killed.
ohe was measured by the Bertillon system
mnen she came. lust as all the prisoners are
seaSnred., She said nothing at the time. She
p"auht have been understood il sho had.
ny When she came to visit me she told me
;nsNshe haI thought they were measuring her
~ yer cotln, Poor thing! She was n very
ss99ectohate girl. not bad or wicked at heart.
IL was absolutely ignorant. she was undis-
tttune.I, ana she had great Justification,
WmiqS. Tor her act
bow about Mrs. Place 2" asked the reporter.
"hhhat was, a very different case"
h,Maria z" 0 'H'' "'i % y IN
MS Sagethought few moments. II want
Sve very explicit she said. on ono point.
SSSutaiy had sympathy with both women.
1 ~ ocaihot 60 through such ali experience
pn1rdIout ieeling sympathy. But | want you 10
Sshme.stahd that | had no false sentimentality
t rSEVt mem. do not believe in any morbid
van "a Whlle she was here. believe the change
me- Eehu!He, She never rebellel at the carry
ia ~, 81 me sentence against her. think
w oet mat the Governor had lone everything
wSn !ustlce demanded and she never uttered
aST1l OF complaint.
IN tuoht know how much this may have heen
ns.n IN % NE Influences surrounding her.
a. ,sNiiat ! Ia" people aTOund her had eX-
Incor ra,st hpt"", pitiel her in a false way, and
ma yTtuIei her 10 think Of herself ns n martyr
VIA knt nave, been rescntful Mt the end,
NJ she came here. she was Utter. She did
Etr /" H. aTloli ~" role Of martyr then. 1t was
,nu hLTun'oahDu mutt. she said. that she was in
n SSVuMIe, But she changed aiterward. Even
~ nn,v AT'rSN'pN changed. Have YOU seen an