The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-09-29
MOTT OSBORNE GOES
TO PRISON TO-DAY
Will Begin to Serve short Self
inflicted Term at
Auburn.
TO SPEND WEEK IN CELL
Prison Reform Commissioner to
BE Treated a. Convict While
Investigating.


y AusuaN, N. T.. Sept. sS.-Charles T.
Murphy's arch enemy. Thomas Mott
Osborne Of Auburn. will enter Auburn
prison tomorrow to serve . sentence.
Tammany. however. will do well not to re-
joice at the above words, because Mr..
expects to be out soon.
In Q talk to the. convicts at chapel to-
day Mr.. Osborne, ss chairman Of the New
York State Commission on Prison Re-
form. astonished the gray brotherhood by
announcing that he will begin Tomorrow
to serve . self-imposed sentence for the
purpose Of psychological research.
Mr.. Osborne's commission. which was
named by Gov. Sulser last summer and
includes Miss Margaret Wilson among its
members. 10 investigating prison reform
and its studies are expected To result In
legislation on the subject next year. In
the present experiment. Mr.. Osborne will
receive the same treatment ~ . convicted
feion and IL his conduct warrants It he
will be put in the dungeon cell at his
own request.
Personal ExDer1ence NeeAea.
Mr.. Osborne in outlining his plan to the
convicts said:
"As chairman Of the Commission on
Prison Reform appointed by Gov. sulssr
the Superintendent Of Prisons and Warden
have kindly given me permission
to carry cut q plan to determine the
effect. Of the present prison
syvtem upen the prisoners. II sympathy
and understanding from . vivid personal
experience are desirable in studying. say.
some foreign country. Il ID even more
necessary IN the case Of q group Of men
sst apart by society such - this prison
for In your cases the condi.
tions under which you live are more un-
natural. and lees easy for most people
to srasp than those Of foreign country.
Moreover. most Of the books that have
been written about you ~ so-called' penol.
ogists' are written largely from the out.
side standpoint and with 20 little intsiii.
sent sympathy and vital understanding
ohet fsv aEs oe rsai value and seem - b.
based upon the assumption that the pris.
oner II not . human being like the, rest
IL ~ but 1 strange tort Of animal. called
. criminal. wholly dihlftht III tlS' MI
stincts. feelings and actions from the rest
Of mankind.
~ want to And out whether our prison
system 10 Intelligent. whether II dies In the
face Of all common sense and human ma
ture. Al I think II does whether. guided
by sympathy and experience. we cannot
o.. s.h> IL
as I believe We ean.
"se.teaceA 70 shsrt Tern"
can at hrst hand. In the court OF con.
Ing lived many years Indifferent to and
Ignorant Of what has been going on be-
hind these walls and have been sen.
fenced to a short term at hard labor in
Auburn prison. expect to be serving
my sentence this week and am coming
here to live your life; to be housed.
clothed. fed. treated In all respects nke
one Of you. want to see for myself
exactly what your life Is like not as
viewed from the outside In. but from the
Inside out.
"Of course I am not no foolish a. 70
think that can see II from exactly your
point Of view. Manifestly a man cannot
b a real prisoner when he can at any
walk out; and spending q few
hours a day in cell Is quite q different
thing from the weary round Of weeks.
years; nor IL prison matter Of
clothes. They cannot make convict any
more than they can make a gentleman.
realise perfectly that my point of view
cannot be yours: but neither when l 20
to Paris Is my point Of view that Of Q
Just as an American can
some things about Paris which
are not SO clear to the average French..
man. 30 perhaps a short residence among
you here may enable me to Judge some
things about the prison system more &C.
curately than those who live too close to
the problem to see It in its right per-
spectlve.
Vents Ne Discrlmiaation,
"A word to the officials. My plan will
not altogether succeed unless am
treated exactly like these other men. !
ask you. therefore, to aid me by making
no discrimination in my favor. Relax
your regular discipline not a jot while
uus uVVV' uiNc tUc SdIue 8ulUdUCe
A. these others. no more. II offend
against the rules give me the same pun.
Ishment; shall expect II.
"A hnal word. When come among
you. do your best to forget who ] am
think Of me only ~ new arrival. Think
of me not ~ q member OF the Prison
Reform Commission. but as plain John
Doe. ! understand an alias 10 sometimes
used here. Some day in the future. after
have done my time. perhaps my ex.
perience may bs Of service to you and to
lhe state. In the meantime help me to
earn the TRUTH"
Thomas Mott Osborne. who a. Deputy
Attorney GENERAL conducted the Grand
Jury investigation into conditions In Sing
Sing prison. was 10 aroused by what he
'ound there that on July l3 Of this year
he announced that he would devote his
lime. money and energy for an indefinite
limo to improving the prisons OF the
state. Gov sulser recently appointed
MIN chairman Of the Prison Reform Com
After the Grand Jury compfSEsd yhS
hrst part Of tn work In July Mr.. >Os66fns
Datled for Europe to take q rest. He will
renew the Investigation with the Grand
Jury In October and will be primsd with
facts from his nrst hand experience in
jail.