The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-12-29
w ARDEN OSBORNE
INDICTED, WILL
LOSE HIS POST
Sing Sings Reform Head
Held BY Grand Jury on
Two Counts.

New York, Dec. 29-Two indtct-
nnents were returned yesterday against
Thomas Mott Osborne, warden of Sing
sing by the Westchester county grand
Jury, which for six weeks had been
Investigating conditions at the prison
one indictment charges perjury and
the other Acknowledgement, one OF the
six counts involving Mr.. Osborne's PERI
sonaI character.
John B. Riley, superintendent of
prisons, announced at Albany, on be-.
ing appraised of the return of the In
dictments. that he. would remove Mr.
Osborne as warden.
IA man under indictment" the SUI
eperintendent said, should not hold
the ofice of warden of a prison I
ind the right man for his place.
Governor Holds Aoof.
Governor. Whitman intinated that
ne would not seek in any way to inter
xere with superintendent Riley's pur-s
poses calling attention to the fulness
81 power over the appointment and
removal of wardens put in the super
51nte1dent's hands by law
From the first the governor adj
1 ded, IT have believed the charges
iagainst Mr.. Osborne's character en-
f1irely unfoundeds and I am astonished
At the action. of the grand jury. But,
lof course, know nothing whatever
+DL the CF10144A1<t lA4e1@ WIS III CSIAASOSA ~
that body,
.Conspfracy,. Said warden
Mr.. OSBORNE issued a statement last
night at the Hotel Belmont in which
AT a meeting in YonkersS some
weeks ago I spoke of the grand jury
performance at White Plains as not
an Investigation, but conspiracy
The result has, justified my assertion.
+ ssBecause 1 have run I Sing Sing
with business honesty and efficiency
! / have made myself hated by the COR
/ rt1pt political elements that have long
utilized the prison for their own foul
/ purposos-
Because have reduced vice and
disorder to q minimum within the
prison L have Incurred the hatred of
the few prisoners who had long en-
5oyed special privileges at the expense
OF their fellows
because I have served the state to
+ the best of my ability, the very ma
4 chanery OF the law intended for the
protection of society ha-s been prosti-
tuted from its high purpose to serve
the v11es4 ends by means equally vile.
This Is not my person al fight It
belongs to every citizen of the state
or New York 1t is not one innocent
man alone that has been indicted. This
attack is directed against every other.
honest Office holder in the state, every
believer in decency in private life,
every other believer in fair dealing be-
tWeeR man and man. every other man
Who has endeavored to make his faith
n God q living principle of action.
Ha No Fear OF Outcome.
IT have no fear OF the result. No
I Jury wdn be blind enough, no court
y unfair enough to carry this conspir-
acy 10 ultimate success. The reA1
question is What do the people of
New = ork state propose to do about
It2'i's
issued was t7lds-
Warden Osborne sent the follow
lowing TELEGRAM to the sheriff and dis
trict attorney of Westchester coun-
z 4. hear the grand jury has report
ed indictments against me For your
information my Immediate plans are
- Il shall appear in court tomorrow
7 CIV ednesday} morning at White Plains
< At 10 O'Clock. I plan to leave for Al
! tsary. tomorrow afternoon to deliver.
{ address at Albany High school grad
1ate reunion Then to Auburn over
Sunday returning early next week I
send this information as a matter of
i courtesy to you. Z,
The indictments were handed up to
I Justice Morschauser in the supreme
o'clock Foreman Andrew Blu
chanan asked permission for the jury
/ TO take q recess until Jan II and it
J is not known what further action is in
contemplation, though Assistant Dis
tr1ct Attorney F-a1lon limited that 9th
er Sing Sing affairs may be investi-
gated
Warden Thomas M. Osborne, of
4 Sing Sing prison, went to White Plains
] to-day for appearance before the SUI
Frerne court to answer to indictments
by the Westch ester county grand jury,
charging him with perjury neglect of
duty, misnanagemen and immortality.
IF superintendent Riley is not
party to the foul conspiracy against
me- said the warden today. The viii
do what any decent man win do. that
Is, give me fair show while waiting
s to rec whether I am guilty or not.
This indictment surely does not con-
vict me nor would it ever do 500
When he was asked what arrange
i 1nents he had made to give bail the
warden replied.
IT guess that viii be al right. al
though a man with such a black char
acter as the Indictment paints me as
having may not be able to get any bail
at ALL