The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19

OssiSiNo. July 1S.--One thousand five
hundred convicts were literally turned
loose within the walls of Sing Sing prison
this afternoon for the first athletic meet
in the history OF the grim old institution.
For three hours men whom the world
by all Its standards calls desperate had
every rule abroeated except those which
govern the ordinary citizen In his ASSOC
citation with his fellows Every keeper
was In the BACKGROUND, a spectator only.
All discipline was relaxed while they
played baseball. medicine ball, handball
and lawn tennis. ran. walked. jumped
talked, smoked. sang. shouted. rolled on
real grass. lay In the shade. communed
with their fellows as free as the air and
sunshine which sent the color to their
faces and forced the blood coursing afresh
through their veins.
Every man jack Of them In the entire
Institution except the eighteen men In the
cells OF the condemned and about forty
who are bedridden in the hospital was
there There were 1856 "lifers' men ac-
cused of every crime on the calendar ex-
cept treason, men who have heard sem
tence pronounced upon them time after
one year ago suns were turned to prevent
riot of bloodshed and murder In that
very prison. who were called incOrriigible
two years ago All were outside with a
new leaf opened for them. not to be turned
down until they shall blacken 1t them
selves.
An Unqualified Success.
Judged from every viewpoint, this firs.
'OutiuR' "A Sing Sing "a f.d
success, and 1t will be repeated every
Saturday afternoon until the snow flies
next winter. The men themselves gave
their testimony with cheerful roar OF
thanks at o'clock when ;hey rushed 10
fall into line. Acting Principal Keeper
Martin Deeley and William X. Watson,
confidential secretary To Warden Thomas
J. Mccormick. who had to attend a meet
ing OF wardens up at Auburn, both said
that they had never seen better behaved
crowd Of men.
There wasn't the least sign OF disorder
or unrullness. but the presence OF the
keepers who lounged way back In the
shade. had nothing TO do with that
IRA hate TO be the man who would try
TO start anything" said one inmate whd
missed the electric chair by one degree
the men won't stand for anything thai
would stop a game like this. The screws
tby which he designated the oiilcorsl car
all 20 away from mere we uOn nteC
EN-"
Warden Mccormick. the new man who
succeeded James NJ. Clancy. worked ou
the baseball and athletic meet Clancy
had a similar idea and vainly asked the
State to appropriate enough money for
him to transform the entire unused north
end OF the State reservation into an ath-
letlc field. Mccormick. working with what
he had, took the fair sized lawn at the
south end. running down from the chapel
between the kitchen and bathhouse and
the river. which does very we'll There
10 a fair sized diamond, broad gravel
walks and commodious resting places
The idea IL to do away with the ancient
custom OF locking the men up In the wors,
prison cells In any state when they are
no, working In the shops. to curtail a little
those dark. lonely brooding hours, when
| all the mischief OF prison is Matched
and nourishcd Mccormick knew tina,
the one thing for his charges was ath-
letlcs. which would send them TO the
coils physically tired. baseball for leader
! and all the other things for those who can
not play or do not care to watch the ma
tlonal game.