New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-20
Accepts Place After Con
terence with Governor
Elect Whitman.
LONG ADVOCATE
OF PRISON REFORM
As Voluntary Prisoner He
Studied System in
Vogue at Auburn.


y,.tsrdsy that he had accepted the
,o.. Of warden Of Sing Sing. The an
,ouneemert was made sfter Mr.. Os'
ho-ne called upon Governor-elect Whit
wan 81 his home 81 ss Madison sv'
Whist was said ct the conference was
not made public, but il is presumed
.hs+ Mr.. Osborne did not wish to &C
,,pt the plsee Y it seemed likely ths'
:. would be thrown out after the first
Of next yesr
Ls osborne's name has been men
.;o,sS in some quarters as successor
- John 3. 2iley as Superintendent Of
Prisons in che event Of Riley's resign
nc when the new administration takes
,see. IL was believed in political qusr-
,.-. Yesterday thst the conference with
-. Coverno~-elect was along that line.
n, man suggested, however. as most
uLs,v 20 be the next Superintendent
~ Prisons is Patrick J. Mcdonald, OF
Ere County. superintendent Of the re-
formatory az ElTira.
Mr.. Osborne was mentioned as war
den OF Sing Sing a few days after
Thomas J. Mccormick was removed,
following 81 investigation by Stephen
C Baldwin. Of Brooklyn. Baldwin was
appointed as a special commissioner by
Governor Glynn 20 investigate the
charges Of neglect and misconduct on
the par. Of Mccormick. which followed
The Tribune's exposure Of the privi-
leres extended 70 David A. Sullivan,
the eonviet-banker.
In letter 70 Superintendent Riley
Yesterday announcing his acceptance OF
the post Of warden, Mr.. Osborne said
that his delay in giving g definite
answer was caused by doubt as 10
whether he could best serve the cause
Of prison reform in an official position.
q am aware Of the many difficulties
connected with the position" ne said,
"but the possibilities Of service seem
great enough TO more than counterbal-
snce them. Complete success does not
seem 10 me 70 be possible under exist
ing conditions; but I have been fire.
quently surprised at what can be &C
complished by the application Of sin
eerity and common sense to difficult
problems
Az the Hotel Belmont last night Nh
Osborne said It was too early TO talk
in detail about what ne hoped to do as
warden in Sing Sing.
"I viii say this, however" he added
"Sirg Sing is q public institution and
50 long as / am in charge the public
will know everything that goes on
there"
Thomas Mott Osborne is ffty-hve
years old He is a manufacturer, and
has served the state in various capac'
itiss. he was Mayor Of Auburn from
1902 to 1905, and for nine years was
a member Of the Board Of Education
o. that city. His greatest achievement
in the eyes Of the public occurred last
fall when he became q voluntary pris-
oner at Auburn for one week, 70 study
conditions from the inside.
During his Incarceration Mr.. Osborne
was treated IN every respect as were
the regular convicts. Following his re-
lesss he played an important part in
organizing at Auburn a modified sys-
TEN Of self-government among the
prisoners. Many sntiquated and un-
reasonable administrative methods
were abolished, and sanitary and living
conditions were improved.
For more than a year Mr.. Osborne
has been a daily visitor at Auburn. He
knows the prisoners there as only theil
fellow convicts know them. He has
been quoted a. saying that he believes
much in prison administration is ira
ditional and non-reformative, but he i'
not believer in quick revolutions.
At Sing Sing he will have an oppor'
tunity 70 put TO practical test many
Of his theories. He is an advocate OF
outdoor work for convicts, both or
highways and on prison farms. Last
week he served a week voluntarily IL
a convict road camp. At present he i
chairman Of the Commission on Prison
Reform, TO which Office he was ap
pointed by Governor Sulzer. He is ar
independent Democrat.
Dr. o. j. Lewis, general secretary
O.! the Prison Association Of New YORK
said last night that the appointment OF
Mr Osborne found favor with his or
ganzatiOn. IL was a step toward taking
ne Office out of politics, he thought.
The Kings County Grand Jury, which
is conducting an investigation TO deter
mine whether David a. Sullivan com
m',ted larceny Of Union Bank funds
when he was permitted TO leave Sins
sing unguarded will continue its probe
to-day Several witnesses have been re-
called, so there is said TO be little
Likelihood Of indictments being HANDED
up before next week
On the stand yesterday were Miss
Louise ID. Durkhardt, Sullivan's secre'
tary and William j Watson. who
served in like capacity TO Thomas
J. Mccormick, the ousted' warden
Neither Mccormick nor Sullivan's wife
both wanted by the District Attorney
as witnesses, has been found.