New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-06
Superintendent Puts Ban
on Prizefights and
Sunday Baseball.
PRIVILEGES IN ALL
PRISONS ARE ALIKE
COnvicts Now Shy of Transfer
ring to Sing Sing, Off
cials Report.
Try Telegraph 10 The Tribune. ]


certain changes are made in his admin
istration
This was intimated by John B. Riley
Superintendent of Prisons, to-day, in {
long discussion of the crisis which ha
arisen between him and the reform
warden. The most Objectionable fea
lures of the present regime at Sint
Sing, Mr.. Riley finds, are Sunday base
ball, violations of the law in permitting
prisoners to visit condemned murderer
in the death cells, and the presence o.
two convicts in a cell at Sing SIM
when there is plenty of room to spar,
in Great Meadows and other penal in
stitutions of the state.
Apart from that, the Superintendent
said, he was heartily in favor of an!
reform which would help to make gooC
citizens out of convicts.
Although refusing to say anything
definite regarding his future plans, Nh
Riley did not seem at all certain tina
Mr.. Osborne would be called upon t
give up his post
There is no controversy betweer
u.s." he said. 81 shall continue to al
low him every chance to improve con
ditions, as long as his efforts do no
seriously interfere with the disciplin,
of the prisons"
During all the talk between Mr.. ;
borne and Mr.. Riley two very impor
tant facts seem to have been over
looked entirely. according to state
ments by the latter.
Privileges in Prisons.
One is that the prisoners at Sini
Sing have no privileges that are no
enjoyed by the prisoners at Auburn
Great Meadow and Dannemora. Th'
other is that practically all these re
forms along humanitarian lines were
started and in successful operation
before Thomas Mott Osborne was ap
pointed warden at Sing Sing-in fact
before he interested himself actively
in the prison problem.
Superintendent Riley talked a.
length about the situation. He ha'
been an earnest student of prison con
ditions for many years. He has liveC
all his life within very few miles
of Clinton Prison and has long beer
interested in the problems that con
front the superintendent and wardens
He has always advocated humane
methods in dealing with convicts. -,
Years before he became superintend
ent of prisons Mr.. Riley was an adyyo
cate of the plan now in successful
operation-for working the prisoner
on the highways. 1t was through hi
efforts that the first detail was sent ou
for this work, and he furnished hous'
for them to stay in that summer. 1hi
was long before he ever dreamed o
being superintendent of prisons. Thes'
facts are cited to show that he is NJ
recent convert to humane methods.
But he thinks that the thing cal
easily be carried too far and too fast.
When he appointed Mr.. Osborne a.
warden of Sing Sing it was with tn
idea of giving him an opportunity, un
hampered. to work out the plans tina
Mr.. osborne had in mind. Never in tn
history of the state has any wardel
ever had such unlimited control OF
nrison as Mr.. Osborne has had at SIM
Sing.
Discomfort at Sing Sing.
At first Mr.. Osborne's activities a
Sing Sing caused serious disconten
among the prisoners in other prisons
They got the impression that the mer
at Sing Sing were having a regulal
"picnic." Then they gradually Learned
there were disadvantages In hvlni
under Mr.. Osborne's rule at Sing Sing
and they now, as rule. are no
anxious either to be transferred u
Sing Sing or to be managed as War
den Osborne is trying TO manage hi!
prisoners.
Proof of this is the failure of the at
tempt made recently to organize mu
tual welfare league at Great Meadow
and Dannemora.
Mr.. Riley has refused to enter int
any controversy with Warden Osborne
He insists that there is no controversy
so far as he is concerned. He will con
tinue to. allow Warden Osborne ever.
possible chance to improve conditions
so long as Mr.. Osborne's efforts do no
seriously endanger the discipline in TIT
prisons.
Mr.. Riley made the following state
ment:
"When appointed superintendent =,
found that in all the prisons ofhcial
generally believed that the only meth
cd of preserving order and disciplln,
was by harsh repressive treatment
Confinement in dark cells on short "a
tions was regarded as the most ef
fective punishment for violations o
rules. After careful consideration
ordered the removal Of the dark cells
doors. and there have since been no darl
cells in any of the state prisons.
was a violation of the prison rules 70
one inmate to speak TO another at an.
time. Freedom of conversation Is nov
permitted in all the prisons.
"Under the most favorable condition
prisoners were locked in their cell
fourteen hours of each day; most o
them were employed in shops elgh
hours. Recreation and exercise IN I'M
open was not permitted.
"All prisoners, except those unde
punishment for misconduct. afte
eight hours work in the shops. ar
allowed an hours exercise in the yar'
each day. They are also allowed ex
ercise in the prison yard on Sunday
and holidays. First grade prisoner
were permitted to write one lette
each month. They are now permitted
TO write as many letters as the,
please; the state furnishes the staml
for a weekly letter. and the prlsone
furnishing his own stamp for sucl
Continued on page 4, column s