The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-01-29
She Orders the Keepers
on BIackveH's Island to
Carry Clubs When She
Finds the Prisoners
There Break Into What
IL Practically Open
Mufiny.
Whisks q Dsvelicf Pris.
oner in Her Auto to
Place Who're He Said
He Could Get a Job to
Verify HE Statement
CiUes Hint on HosO to
Supprese a Vile Speaker.

Au0 u09oQuoTt0ro Ot tu0 DopSIttnSht
OF Correction 10 an old-fashioned
brownstons dwelling at No. las East
Twentieth street.. A puzzled looking
man, With . grin on his face. came
down from the high stoop the other
day and met . friend who had been
waiting for hiyn on the side ak. A.
they walked over toward the Gramercy
Square Club centre the friend asked
the pussled looking man Why he was
smiling.
Il went IN there. a. you know" said
the other. TO ask for leave to ses .
prisoner In the Tombs In whom I am
interested. But I saw things which I
would not have believed ten or even
i've years ago would ever happen In
the state Of New York.
Il saw Q Commissioner Of Correction,
q person charged with the care and
safe imprisonment of every convict
under discipline In the city Of New
York. fun up to Sister Mary Xavier
Of the Sisters Of Mercy and kiss her
on both cheeks and hug her besides"
For Q half Of a moment the other
man was staggered: then he began to
laugh. for he remembered that the
new Commissioner Of the Department
Of Correction 10 Miss Katherine Be-
ment' Davis. for fourteen years Su-
perintendent Of the Bedford Refor.
matoIy for WomeD, and since she
was graduated from vassar one of
the hardest working practical stu
dents Of prisons and reformatories in
this State. Sister Mary Xavier has
been working with her for tho bet
tering Of unfortunates who got into
tho disciplining hands Of the law for
nearly all OF the fourteen years.
"What else did you sect" asked the
man who had not been insids. ,i.H
OTHER STRANGE THINGS eEEN
~ THE VISITOR.
Il saw . secretary 60 to . poor. old
woman With . daughter. who was act
Ing a. interpreter. and ask the two
to go into . back room where they
could tell their story of the shame OF
another daughter who was In the
workhouse without Its being over
heard by the crowd Of persons wait
Ing In the outside ONCE
And what elsef"
II saw William Church Osborn.
who il regarded a. one OF the most
important citizens Of this State In
prison affairs. who had been sitting
around for half an hour. reading a
book to kill time. bounce out. saying
ne would be back In ten days or 10
when the Commissioner had time to
keep engakements-and hapren %
know that the reason she missed her
engagement with him was because
there were things going on on Black
wells Island which required the cut
ting loose from all engagements II
there was to be an immediate and ef-
fective investigation"
So much one man learned Of the
experiment-or rather innovation-oi
putting a woman In charge Of the
toughest and least feminine In spirit
Of all the New York departments
The announcement Of the intention
Of Mayor Mitchell to appoint Miss
Davis caused q mutter and a grow
and q roar Of rage from city once.
holders not only In the Correction Do.
partment. but outside Of It. Anony.
nous public servants wrote letters e
the newspapers denounctng Mr.
| Mitchell az an insurer Of free and
| untrammelled AMI. .can manhood
Employees Of the Department Of Cor
rection encouraged each other and
all the other departments against the
proposed petticoat invasion.
CRITICS WILL HAVE TO GEEK
NEW oRoUNos.'
The chorus Of protest had died
away into a murmur Of curious ques-
tioning What will the Commissioner
do next? Next to saying that Miss
Davis would have a mushy over
full deprecators were given to pre-
dieting that she would be q fierce and
cruel overmasculine woman. Her
subordinates are beginning to realize
that II they are to free themselves
from a woman boss by criticising her
they must hunt new grounds upon
which to brace themselves for their
kicks.
"You can't kid her. that's what I
have found out" said Warden HaDley
of the Tombs o-day. The prisoners
can't Kid her and the wardens and
keepers and turkeys can't kid her
She knows this business and the
stock lies that people tell on one side
and the other ~ we'll that she knows
by the look On prisoners face--oE
on . keepers, for that matter-wiat
Ito 10 coming from his lips before he
begins to speak. She knows tho dif-
ference between q soul In trouble and
Q trouble. making soul working over
time. Only fourteen years Of expert
ence such a. she has had could Give
any Commissioner that. II 10 no di.
vine gift. 1hs has worked hard u
learn what she has learned. and New
York City 10 Retting the benefit OF
having q Correction Commissioner
who does not begin 40 an apprsn'
| tice."
SAMPLES OF THE THINGS MICS
DAVIS hAe DONE,
Here are some Of the things Mis-.
Davis has done In her hrst twenty.
I seven days In once besides csreerinl
fsseun6 the city inspecting ever
sig1 .,ss ~
~ 'ff.g . y 1913 lsf'fHW Altuira -. 81 -.