The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-10-06
OSBORNE OUT OF AN
INFERNO TO LIBERTY
Reformer vividly Describes His
Last Night in Auburn's
Darkest Cell.
CALLS SYSTEM "CRUEL"
Says His Experiment Was a
Splendid Succcss-Madc
Warm Friends.

~
chairman of tn. state Commission on
Prison Reform. came out of Auburn
prison this AFTERNOON after spending all
Of the time between =. NJ. yesterday and
s A. NJ to-day in the dungeon" cells
with FIVE other inmates.
MIR. osborne. under til. alias of Tom
Brown. was reprimanded in the basket
shop yesterday afternoon for going to the
sink without permission. In the discus
sion which followed he decided to gust
work. on refusal to go back TO his bench
he WAS taken before Principal Keeper
Patterson.
The principal keeper after warning Tom
Brown that the only alternative to
obedience was the cooler locked the
amateur convict into what ne termed on
his release to be the innermost circle Of
Inferno" This morning. pale and weary.
ne was taken to his own cell and at the
usual chapel hour WAS allowed to 90 In
with the rest Of the prisoners.
MIR. Osborne. alias Tom Brown. had
made arrangements to end his term to-
day. and when Chaplain Copeland called
him out from among the convicts seated
In the big hail there WAS a demonstration
never before seen in Auburn prison.
Rising from among the gray clad men
Tom Brown walked TO the platform and
then delivered a talk to the men in
which ne told OF some of his experiences
and commended men and Keepers for the
excellent manner in which they had al
lowed him to work out his plan without
obstacle or Interference OF any sort.
on leaving the prison late this after.
noon Mr.. Osborne. although anxious to
get to sleep In his own comfortable bed
at home. gave out a statement TO the
newspaper men In which he said
System IL Cruel, tie saya.
y am more than ever confirmed IN my
previous opinion that tn" prison system
Is singularly uninteliigent. ineffectiv. and
cruel. In many respects the material well
being OF cOnvicts is carefully looked after
For instance. | found the food unex-
pectedly good. The cells while exceed.
ingly antiauat.d ate clean. well lighted
10y night and are satisfactorily ventilated
However. j am told that in cold weather
they are often exceedingly damp. as may
well be the case wher. floor. ceiling and
walls ar. Of stone
My adoption of an alias proved to
have been most valuabi. ia getting on
common ground with the men Had
used my own name tner. would unuues-
haN. been embarrassment and
there would hav. benn far less freedom
and natural Intercourse. Every prisoner
jf cours.. knew who | was. VT with the
il'as h" felt perfectly free to treat m. as
Jne of tn. inmates
When the idea first suggested Itself to
ne to Ho into the prison two courses were
open, The first was to .,It.r IN disguis.
md be quit undi-t.ueushable from IN.
est Of the couVicts Tn" other cotirs.
vas the one | adopted
II CAV" up thu hrsr plan partly on ac-
'ount Of IN. eNirrm" difficulty Of disguise |
rhich would pass current with officers |
ma men under IN" many sharp. uues-
ioning eyes that had often seen m. be
ore. incidentally | may say tha. the |
nen who can deceive n any way a group |,
Il state prisoners will have to b. an |
xpert |
"A further objection To- the plan of dis |
'uis. was that of subsequent misuud.r-
tandng Of my motive. l should have.
'".n regarded as som. sur, Of d.t.ctiN. or
by something which | was anxious To |
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