New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-25
SANTA BREAKS
SING SINGS BARS
Prison, Its Cells Open, Re-
sounds with Song on
Christmas Eve.
WARDEN SWAMPED
WITH BOYS" GIFTS
IN Turn, He Remembers Every
One OF 500 Men-Two Trees,
Dinner and Show To-day.

DlnhSi diu SHOW lOHud1.
Gr-m s,as Ccrrspo1i.a, o, The Tr4tmel
Oss'cirg. Dec. %. 1t was Christmas
Eve in sing Sing Prison. too Through
the porous walls Of the Anticipated
reniten;iary the spirit Of the season
had secped in from the outside world.
Tree 6ltered moonlight bathed the gray
walls and the jingle Of sleiehbells car
ricd ia.o the chapel, where 1900
mon we've getting ready TO renew their
acquaintance with the Santa Claus OF
their ooyhood.
Santa was on the job acting as turn
key for the night. He had thrown
open the cell doors and the men had
the run OF the prison. Already there
were two Christmas trees within the
walls. One. Warden Osborne's tree for
the men, stood in corner Of the
chapel, giitter.ng with tinsel and holi-
day trinGets The other. the mems
tree Tor Warden Osborne, occupied the
centre Of the floor in the back perlor
Of the wardeus house.
It was such a Christmas Eve as Sing
Sing had never known before. In
the old days, under the iron rule, the
men spent the night in their cells.
Those who CHANGED O. know It was
Christmas Eve didn't care. II meant
nothing to them. or worse than moth
ing. But tonight there were hun
bred deputy Santas t,proeing through
the cell blocks leaving gifts for pals.
They didn't have much TO give. A
package Of cigarettes or a sack Of
tobacco was about the best they could
do. but it was the way thev did il
that counted.
Two Christmas Trees.
In the chapel there was a double pro-
Cramme. Between the reels OF a five
pa t motion picture feature Warden Os-
borne's chorus choir rehearsed the
carols which they will sing at the big
celebration tomorrow. The booming
OF their voices mingled with the tolllng
Of Ossinin8's church bells.
% coa,. all 81 .rtt.u rumshanty Srs
Come see r ihs maugrr the angels dread King.
q. Eth.eA.r hasten With uy.Il ACCORD.
% hasten. % h-sten. t' worship the Lori
They sang as il they meant it as
whole heartedly as a congregation IN
a chapel with stained glass IN its win
dows instead Of bars.
While Tough Tony Marine, VINO
hasn't been Tough Tony except by ira
ditiona nickname since he threw m
his lot with the warden and the Mutual
Welfare League, was putting the final
touches 20 the decorations on the war
{ den's tree, a stleam of Christmas pack
ages addressed TO Thomas Mott Os-
borne kept the receiving room busy.
They contained gifts from the war
den's boys" who, following their re-
lease, had taken up honest work outside
on the Welfare Leagues "do-go0d
make-gOod" basis. A Chinese ex-con-
vict. turned from the devious ways OF
the opium traffic and now a respectable
chop suey house proprietor, sent set
of egg-shell-thin tea cups. A former
highwayman, who is making his living
with monkey wrench IN the Ford
motor plant instead of with 2 revolver,
sent q jewelled penknife which must
have cost a couple of months savings.
Another stick-up man remembered his
warden with a solid silver shaving set
and an assurance that he had turned
square" for all time Then there were
silk handkerchiefs and boxes Of candy
and knick- knacks and Christmas cards
galore.
Boys Outside Send Gifts.
"The best thing is that its going TO
!. fn q e
Tough Tony contided. About a dozen
of the boys who work around the
warden's houses got together and put
in all the money they had. Now, whe1
the boss gets back from Boston to-
morrow, maybe he'll get better idea
how strong the fellers are for him"
And. by the same token, when the
warden gets back the "fellers" are go
ing 70 get better idea how strong he
is for them. On the big Christmas
tree there will be gifts FOR every man
of the sixteen hundred, box of candy
and a package OF cigarettes apiece. l.
NAV DE said the state isn't supplying
the gifts. More than that, the warden,
who is an accomplished musician, IS
going 70 ofiiciate at the chapel piano
while Peter Kurtz, one Of mis- proteges,
plays the violin.
Besides me Christmas spirit and the
Christmas cheer, the sixteen hundred
are going 20 enjoy regular Christmas
food. Not one of them failed to stop
before the mess-hall blackboard to-
night and gloat over the treats bulie-
tined for tomorrow.
Breakfast will consist Of hash and
hot biscuits and coffee, with real
cream IN il. For dinner there will be
fried pork loin chops, with fresh apple
sauce. mashed potatoes and turnips,
celery. pumpkin pie with cheese, and
more coffee with regular cream. Sup
per. if more frugal, will still have
rroper amount Of Christmas class
for the bulletin promises rice a la
Refine and ginger bread in unlimited
Christmas. 1915, is going 70 be real
holiday all the way through for sing
Sing. The prisoners, accustomed 10
spend the day under lock and key
forbidden even 20 whisper 70 their cell
rnates-wil have the freedom OF the
ward all day. with permission TO loaf IN
the shops should the weather prove m
clement.
Chapel exercises. with the Christmas
tree and chorus choir and the band as
centres Of attraction, will occupy most
of the morning. In the evening there
will be more motion pictures.
BOY SCOUTS MEAN BUSINESS
Show How Good Deed Bylaw Can Come