The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-24
Sing Sing WITHOUT STRIPS
MT ats 'hs sp,esrrw~ dina mat wpEplun
Vr~st BE hs-ly NsNlsas NbsSt Sar,.
asso Nea Are Nav Fsrrsd 20 ~is-t,
N the hapsl ansl th@ TIN sna9

! Am Men Are Nsw Fssesd 10 ~lr-.
| N ths thapsI amt th~ TN Srsp.
Act Sing Sing Prispn' tn. ~.
tain rises On q ling hn,' = men With r ..
crnpt-.I hair. dr-ss.-i 10 striped ...'-
They shuiIic arr,,-s th.. stage w tho %
notonOus lockstsp. The guards. 2 4
featured. surly. stand at one sid~ VT,
rifles slung acrns~ their shoulders "a
curss tho convicts a. they pass ~
that's a pLaywtight's vsrSi"n of life Z
Sing sing. the version that puhlr tr-
cnstOmed To its cartoons Featuring rr.r-
inent members of the other political r..-rv
in atTiped suits dragging about hall a
chain. accspts without question.
! bat they gave up stripes az Sinr ~-s
three years aRU and the convirt- no D. ucar
have their heads shav.'h AZ the end 81 no
ride mp the river Neither do they %
and FRO in lockstep.
| n you are prudent you will climb NJ 10
steep hall that shU ulcicrs the O~sining rai-
road station rather than risk your life N a
, walk hack down tbs tracks Ia the prls1n
though that ~ thu shorter route. Anf va
will arrive. n little usIt of br,sath p~fhana
at the warden = house. at the door of Which
stands a good natured giant with a shaggy
dog lolling at his feet While you are telling
him your business a little man dressed lila
gray slips silently into the warden r5nn
with q bottle of spring water or snme I"ttsrs
and you look at him curio'Isly over the
guards huge shoulders, for that Is vnur
first glimpse of a convict in real life They
are coming and going on some errand coa-
tinuously. these little gray men. and Il voa
look carefully you will $50 On tho l@t
sleeve 90 each a woven star and hy that
you know that these convictS are -trus-
ties.- and that they have been On Their
/ good behavior for five dre7ry years They
are allowed moro liberty than tho others.
they can fetch and carry for tho warden
and his clerks and catch an occasional
! glimpse of the outside world
I The stripes were not abandoned Tor the
gray uniforms beCa'I-.- IL vas feared that
/ the prisoners we're IA danger IT losing
their individualitiep. Is the sentimental
/ lists would have IL. Those in charge fei,
how ever. that tho idea of strip-- a. de-
grading. and they decreed the ..rav
! suits. and nO~ the @trtpe= 90 he sleeve
are to he sought for rather than -huunof
since a prisoner receivps hsr Tor each
year of good conduct until tive hAv-
/ passed and the star ~ achieved
/ Malk through the hall hanks,t hy cells
directly behind the ward"n'- rooms AMI
I you come ont on IN the exercising ward
watched by the guards with sticks N
I hand hut with no firearms Ira sight The
| prisoners ak two and two a. ~ the Old
days. but they no longer grasp the shoulier
Of the man in front Or JERK their legs ~
and down la the iock step OTs -luad
has ju-t come from the bathhou<. AMI
/ the men are rubbing their 10 -.-i hsir
ar iok ing with their comrada. Va that
low pitched tone " voic" that ~ acquired
a short time after coming 60 Sing sing
n a. ....HN 4. .
tended for aud gl,= no further.
One of the first things that goes home
to YOU after you have stepped inside ne
prison proper il the InOnotony of ~ all
the dead saIneness Everything -s,..nstp
reflect the @onbre 'inge oT the uniforms
there u an air of grayue~s all through the
place The SUNLIGHT ~ that exercising
ward seems "a have Loot the cheerfu'nes
that q knew uuts.!' They Say that this
T. one of the. hardest thing that pff-0n-r
~ith any spirit left has To bgar. ard ,hai
may he the reason that. having 800
several you ~s.em ~ have seen az th~
! Ss6 human beings that are living the his
of automatpns there beside the i've.
There - the same indifferent loos ahoat
the eyes
Consider for yourself moment Her~
il a man who hss known the ~ q md
life of the city. whether u be about that
ham or Times Sq,nr~, who gyp-yiks
has come and gone whore he p'"aSed.
Irresponsible careless whethe- f vas
> O'Clock ia the Sft"snDon or m %" morn
ing Now put THIS man IA q -lIad N 4
sing sing. where he arises e.: . and goes
70 led a. y Make HIM e his hroakfasi
that differs only from ~" "thr. rr~Als
ia thai he has coife~ IN the Crud" howl
instead of soup. and then march him up
"a the tailor shop ar the hgk" house. ard
watch over him while he work, 200 The
notseis<s company It hIs gr.v suited
fellows until Il " time for him 20 idk@
his hath oT file out for that trav~-ty Gll"i
aNercts. DO You wonder that men Sh1
have becn strangers To church look for
ward to sunday service with .l ths
eager anticipation that they unr~ brought
ia fight or dRy It ras1ng' II " uhAnge
in th.. workings uf the machine snme
thing new IL think about
The prison - ov.rcr"~d'd 80, ih,s
only I.2Do and there ar" nearly 2m
Convict- there now. As q consequence
the guards are nervous and irritable
Warden Jesse Frost chsws hl- Cgr
and tells you that 70 - mot nice They
have o. turn the Protestant chapel into
"A dormitory. where Isl men tchu-en ~
course for their good behavior. hut
then you can never rvSlly trust any man
with a steel door bstwesn HIM and life
-ls.ssp side by side on narrow Cut~, WIN
opportu nities for communication thi
cannot he cut OF by even the mot Gun
ming watchfulneSs. II ~ hard Goo hA
20 man in an adjacent cell. but 10 theme
across the narrow SplCe- between cots
that is "a different IN after.
Then the rooms used TOR tin making
~ a rule accommodate 30 more. y you
want To- call IL accommodation. Ihefe
are armed guards in all these dorm.
tories and at half past O'Clock at mgnt
the lights are turned down 80 that they
can lust ~se what ~ going on IN an m
definite sort % way.