New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-23
CONNECTICUT GETS
SING SING DEPUTY
Picks Charles H. Johnson
to Head State Reforma-
tOry at Cheshire.

Charles H. Johnson, deputy warden
Of Sing Sing Prison and personal
friend of Warden Thomas Mott Os-
borne, will tomorrow tender his resig-
nation to become head OF the Connect
cut State Reformatory at Cheshire
The board of directors of that instl-
tuition Yesterday afternoon announced
the election of Johnson to fill the post
Mr.. Johnson's resignation becomes
effecti"e September /. lie Will take
vacation and assume his duties in Con-
necticut about October |. The post
which he leaves Sing Sing to accept is
looked upon as a great opportunity IN
the field of prison reform. Ii was
sought after by such men as Warden
lyman. of Colorado, and Warden God
ward, of Wisconsin, both widely known
nv their work in humane prison man
acemert After much deliberaton;
however, the Connecticut State Board
decided Mr.. Johnson was the best man
for the place.
Although the deputy warden has long
been known in this state as Leading
social worker, the attention OF the
/ Connecticut State Board was hrSt
drawn to him through f. Kent Hub
bard. ir.. a practical philanthropist,
who is one of the trustees OF the
institution at Cheshire. He visited
Sing Sing several times as friend OF
+ Thomas Mott sborne. and was much
impressed with Mr. Johnson. Warden
Osborne also recommended Mr.. john
son highly. saying he was too good a
man TO to be a subordinate, as he is
at Sing Sing.
At the time when the wardenship Of
the prison at Ossining became vacant
/ last winter. after The Tribune exposed
David A. Sullivan's JOY rides with Tor
( mer Warden Mccormick, Mr. johnson
and Mr. Osborne were the two men
most considered for the post Mr..
Johnson, who was at the time superln-
tendent of the heavily endowed Leake
and Watts orphan asylum at Yonkers.
had the Endorsement of the leading
Protestant. Jewish and Catholic social
workers in New York State. When Mr..
Osborne was appointed he selected Mr..
Johnson as his chief aid.
Although never in actual prison work
before he went to Sing Sing. Mr.. john
son now shares Mr.. Osborne's pOpu-
larity. He is a big, strong man, whose
force of character, well defined sense of
justice and humane principles have en-
deared many of the inmates to him.
He is frequently cheered by the men
as he passes through the mess hall.
"Mr johnson is on the level; you can
always get square deal from him."
is an axiom at Sing Sing.
The head of the new Cheshire Re-
formatory is a native New Yorker and
about 43 ears old. He was educated
in the public schools Of this city and
at Trinity School He is an alumnus of
the Boston University and of Harvard,
class of 1902. This spring he received
the degree of LII. d. from Alfred Uni
versity.
Mr. Johnson's first work was as SUI
perintendent of st. ChriStopher's
School, at Dobbs Ferry. He went from
there to the Albany Orphan Asylum,
which he practically built and raised
TO a first class rating From Albany
he went to the Leake and Watts in
stitution at YOnkers.
He has been a student at the Univer-
sity Settlement, in New York, and re-
ceived scholarship in the New York
School of Philanthropy. At Harvard
he specialized in reformatory and
prison work, and wrote his thesis on
these subjects. He is secretary of
the Capital District Conference on
Charities. He is married and has one
son, sophomore at Harvard.