New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-03


unlock the door OF his cell and the other -,
homemade revolver, fashioned from p.,
OF lead pip. and equipped with powder ma.
from matches He merely gave the thing, NJ.
no person but himself knew that he had th.-
A few months ago, with other league membtr,
he ostracized prisoner who had made an :,
tempt TO escape.
One OF the matters that the league has fou,s
difficulty in eontending with is the question a,
new members, particularly FIRST termers New,
having known the prison under the old mi,
the newcomer frequently fails to show N,
proper respect for the reforms and gets in,s
trouble as a result. The executive eomni,,.,
is now considering plan for the Withholding
of privileges from the newcomer until 4,
proves that he is worthy Of receiving them
William (. Axton president Of the Prisoner
Aid League and an ardent reformer takes
conservative view Of the reforms. He main.
tains stoutly that lot has been accomplished
under them. but says that there is even MOI,
left to be accomplished. Working with III.
Mutual Welfare League, the Prisoners Aid
League is doing what it can to accomplish tbs
greater good.
PRISONERS AID LEAGUE MADE UP OF
AUBURN BUSINESS MEN.
The Prisoners Aid League consists OF forty
to forty-fve members most Of them Aubun
business men. The idea was Thomas M. o.
borne's, and it is one OF the notable reforms
that do not exist at Sing Sing Osborne and
Rattigan went among the Auburnians and CT.
gsnized the league, while Governor Glynn ani
Superintendent Of Prisons Riley lent the
names 10 give it the official SAVIOR.
Members OF the league are known TO the con.
victs as the pals. They carry prison passes
emitting them TO visit the conyicts at any trs
and il is customary for each pal 10 devote him.
self to a certain group OF convicts and to pay
regular visits Of cheer. Other activities OF the
pals lie in attending TO correspondence tor prs
oners and in supplying daily speaker, pre-
viously mentioned, but they have not eonten'sd
themselves with preaching. They are proving
their real interest by finding jobs for paroled
prisoners. Moreover. they are finding jobs TOR
them in Auburn which is the one city IN the
state where most of the residents OF Auburn
do not want them.
The resultant howl that has gone up from
said residents has been loud and lusty. but the
pals haven't stopped for a minute. Twenty
FIVE former prisoners-"ex-vics' they are
called-are holding down jobs in Auburn TO-
day. Two are employed in the citys Leading
hotel. Axton himself has put FIVE to work IN
his bakeshop. One OF them departed with si'
that did not belong to him; the others, so tar
as is known, have been honest
THE SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE WORKS
AGAINST PRISON ECONOMICS.
The principal fault that Axton finds with the
reforms is that not enough OF the spirit OF
vengeance has departed to make the prison.
self-supporting. The convicts make broomS,
furniture. blankets, clothing, ETC.; they receive
cent and a half day for their work; the
prison sells their output-snd still the Legs
lature has TO make an appropriation annually
to keep the institution going. lie argues tna'
there is something wrong. and asserts that the
remedy lies in putting the prison on a business
basis. At a cent and one-hsf day the spirit
of the convict varies from one OF carelessness
TO one OF vengeance. Raw materials are
wasted. often purposely, and much OF the M
ished product is poor stuff Recently large
order of desks badly made. was returned 70
the prison. They had to be entirely rebuilt and
the state. of course, did not receive cent io'
the work
Axton's idea is that the convict should ~
paid whatever he earns, that he should o.
charged for board, that a reasonable SUN
should be sent at regular intervals TO those
dependents whom he left behind him, ana VIM
might otherwise become state, county or n0'
ncipal charges, and that the balance II tne'.
is any. should be deposited TO the credit Of
the convict and paid to him when ne leaves
the institution.
For the present and the near future ho"e'''
New York State is standing pat on its prison
system and reforms. 1t has ever acquired
bit of reputation around the country, ior ''
Governor of Illinois last week wrote the v"
den of Auburn, asking suggestions regsfolns
m. construction OF new prison IN liHn0'
that is going to be reformed from the s'4''
Two months from now, when the exposiu0H
on.ns in California, part OF this states exhi0''
will be demonstration OF the workings "
prison reform, and the photographs hefe"''"
r,produced. along with some others, VIII T"
among the leading exhibits.