The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-13
Promise of New Clothes (NO
Stripes Sends Islanders
to Chapel Happy.
MISS DAVIS MAKES ADDRESS
Brewery Sign. Which Tanta-
Lies Thirsty Prisoners. Dis
turbs the Commissioner.

bath DAY ~ Backwells Island YESTERDAY.
AL the boys were washed ana shaNrd
and went 10 chapel with JOY In the
hearts for the prcmis' that II they will
be good they shall have new suits OF
hula iul maybe a chance At tn honor
system They heard Commissioner
Kathatiu, g. Davis preach and they sang
as ~ IN Island were choir school Las
night they had porrilge and to-day they
are going To- work.
That Is, al but 1850 q: them These men
have been singled Oui AS the leaders ~
the revolts ~ last week and they are going
70 live on slice Of bread a day aud lots
OF water Tor some time GRADUALLY they
will BE- worked hack into the system II
they prove worthy Of confidence. OF these
$50 there are xteen IN solitary" among
them Frank Tannenbaum, the !. w. W
shouter. There were only fifteen, hut IN
the mess YESTERDAY one NJ the men made
grab for all the corn-d beef IN sight
and then smugyled bottle Of vinegar
under his Jacket
When they searched his cell they found
a box OF talcum powder that may have
done I'm N and they also found a followed
out place in the leg Of his chair What
was stuffed into the hole wasn't deter
mined. hut the man was stuned into
bunkless cell as soon as they found II
The glad word that came to the
prisoners was that cloth for the suits has
been ordered and that the stripe suits will
gradually be done away with The present
suits were made in Sing Sing The new
suits will be made by regular ta!lors. The
color is sailor blue. with somewhat
darker shade for the workhouse prisoners.
The men with the best records are to get
first chance ct the new uniforms. New
prisoners will be put into them immed.-
ately and as the old uniforms wear out
they will be discarded
Miss Davi. Makes Speeches.
Miss DAYS spoke yesterday AT the
Catholic service In the morning and at
the Episcopalian service in the afternoon
in both addresses she sought to irpart
the philosophy OF community ex stence.
She told them that the interests OF a group
are OF more Importance than the interests
OF any Individual in that group and that
trouble always arises when sndiv dual
tendencies are asserted with too much
vigor
There was applau from the men who
had welded sixteen pound cell buckets
last Friday when they heard this. Also
there was hearty laughter when she told
them about self government for prisoners.
az favor self-government In the pr sons
for men, but | am not So sure about the
women Up at Bedford the girls oh
te~ted to IT, They said that II a woman
is placed IN "A position of authority she
Immediately begins To show favors That
reminds me Of the tins polled the
Bedford women on the question OF suf-
natural for women to rule women They
did think 1t was natural for man to rule
wom"H."
Thu tn Comm ssioner went on u say
trat she hoped ultimately To establish an
honor system at Blackwells Island, just
= az she has NJ the Orange county farm
for the boys who come from Harris Island.
She said she mad spent three days at
Blackwclrs Island when she should have
been working ON her budget. but she
ttht haRa
she wanted to get AT the roots of the
trouble She said moreover that she
wanted everybody to know that the
prisoners had treated her beautifully. In
all the rumpus, she said, not one i'm
proper word had reached her ears
At the Catholic service In the morn
ing nineteen of the men took communion.
Miss Davis made a special appeal to the
Catholics. saying that their Church more
than any other had advocated law and
order and had succeeded in making II
effective She said that obedience 20 law
full authority was n part Of Catholic doc
trine and that the men who are Catholics
should remember that they couldn't help
he- by infringing upon the discipline OF
the prison.
Among those who heard the Commits
sioner speak in the afternoon was DR.
Charles H. Baxter, who was dismissed
from Island service and sentenced to a
year In prison for selling morphine Ia
q prisoner. Speaking OF him afterward
Miss Davis said the sight had grieved her
exceedingly.
"when ! came here" she said. that
man was by most trusted adviser. the
chief of my medical staff ! could not
look into his face to-day"
Letter From . Prisoner.
At the conclusion Of the service one of
She prisoners handed letter 10 a keeper
and asked him to give II to the Commits
sioner This is what he wrote:
MRS. Doctor DAVIS: In response
10 your kind address | believe ] can
voice the thoughts and sentiments
OF every man in this institution when
+, say we thank you. especially at this
B. time, that you come with wise coun-
sci and an earnest desire to help us
bear our punishment with profit to
ourselves and to this grand city and
: State of New York. We believe you
have spoken with sisters and
: mothers affection for erring and un-
fortunate brothers and also our
beloved and trusted Commissioner.
q. Many Of us know nothing of your
philosophy. but vet YOU have our con-
fdence. Unfortunately so
per cent OF the burden of operating
a. these institutions is upon the poor
laboring man. woman and child OF
our overhurdened city So II behooves
all us prisoners, keepers, warden,
Commissioner. Mayor and Board OF
- Estimate 10 eConomize and not TO
waste ANYTHING that the people are
paving for.
" We also appreciate the assurance
Of our wardc' Of fair play. II We do
oVr par. and I believe from now OF
thcro viii he ,ess bread wasted and
moro eaten IN gratitude
= w hope IL Davis, you will favor us
frequently with your pres nee. your
couns and your good advice
one Of the Improvements Miss Dav
: suggested 10 the newspaper men was tn
rCmoval ~ a huge sign across the rive
:. ard easily seen from many Of the prisoi
- cells
"l do wish that sign wasn't there" sh
said. Read II and then think OF al
. these poor thirsty fellows behind tn
bars"