New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-21
That Is Frank Tannen-
baum's Verdict on Work
of Sing Sing Warden.
CONTRASTS 1T
WITH BLACKWELL'S
Agitator Calls New System
"Wonderful' After Day Spent
in Upriver Prison.
BY JOHN J. LEARY, JR.

BY JOHN J. LEARY, JR.
Osborne has humanized institutional
hell"
In those words Frank Tannenbaum,
the young l. W. W. leader, fresh from
a year on Blackwell's Island, sum-
married. day in Sing Sing prison.
ats been a day Of revelations, won
derful day." he went on. "It's so won
derful ! don't know where to begin to
tell about it. Let me sit by the window
where / can see the river as we go
along. | want to think"
We were coming back from busy
ten hours spent in the prison on the
Hudson. The session began with tax
with the warden in which he reiterated
some of his hopes, and ended with
session Of the prisoners court, and one
Of the court of appeals presided over
bv the warden himself. Between we
were all over the shops; in every part
of the prison except the death house.
Our convict guides thought we could go
there, but Tannenbaum wished none Of
it. -,
"'Twill tell us nothing we don't
know" said he. "Who wants to see
that piece Of machinery when he can
see men? I'd rather see the prisoners
court in session.
To see that we waited until dusk had
begun TO settle over the prison.
"That was worth missing train for
said Tannenbaum. ITS fitting climax
10 one of the most wonderful days in
my life"
Would HumaniZe Jails.
"You know" said he, as we settled in
the train, 81 do not believe in jails.
do not believe and I will not concede
that the men in them are worse than
the men outside. In fact, | believe some
are better than the men outside. Crime
such as we know it to-day Is directly
traceable TO existing social conditions.
"But as long as we have private prop
erty. as long as we have rich and poor
we shall have jails.
Having them, let US at least have
them humaniZed. Let us not continue
TO do as we have been doing first
making criminals and then submitting
them to barbarous and inhuman treat
ment for being criminals. II is here
that Osborne's work is so important, so
humane.
This man has humanized institu-
tional hell!
"The thing is q revelation to me.
did not believe what / saw to-day was
possible. I don't know what my friends
NAV think Of what ! may say, of what
] am saying, but truth is truth. Os-
borne's ideas are not my ideas, his pol
itics are not my politics, but | take
off my hat to him. He Is man with
heart.
Truly. after seeing men forced TO
submit TO the barbarous tortures | have
seen men live through, ! did not think
IL possible that a system designed &c
crush every human instinct out OF man
everything that is good, and develop al
that is evil in him, could be so greatly
changed. ] can only say II was reve
lation.
al feel almost like some of the boys
talked TO that / knew had served time
on Blackwells.
"'What do you think Of it?' / asked
one.
"''T am afraid ] will wake up anC
find it all a pleasant dream" he said
"But, of course, il isn't. II is very
very real, and very much better thai
the old system.
"All Jail evils have not been abol
ished Some can never be abolished
until the jails themselves are abolished
May that day come soon. But l an
convinced that Osborne in no small
measure is undoing the injustice tina
organized society has been doing in tn
name of justice.
No Hate in Sing Sing.
"There are no bitter men in Sins
Sing none in whom the dominant not
is hate. At least, l saw none. Nom
of these men under Osborne are sour
If Jail can improve a mana thinl
! doubt, and will not concede-Osbornt
has the system that will do it.
"The self-government, the elimina
ton Of visible authority in constan
bossing by the keepers, the elimina
tion of the petty nagging, the plac
ing upon the men of the responsibiht.
of the conduct o. the prison, are
powerful means for keeping alive thos
qualities of initiative and self-respec
that make a man valuable to himsel
and to society and send him bacl
TO that society a man unafraid, ant
not a beaten, broken thing.