The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-16
THE G JUDGE"
It Was Produced at Auburn Prison.
Not at Sing Sing.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Str: !
quote from an editorial article which
appeared in THE sur OF Friday, June
II, under the caption "A Sing Sing
Play":
In honor OF Warden Osborne's days OF
playing prisoner at Sing Sing a playwright
Of that institution has made Tom Brorn
the hero OF a drama called THE Higher
Judge" which was produced there with an
entire cast" OF convicts or Wednesday
night and received with enthusiasm.
You then sketch the plot OF the play.
tut In a rather incomplete fashion: -
rich man Ii the villain. In the course
of his vIllainy he brides a Judge and a
District Attorney" You reason that
tho wickedness of the capitalist villain
Is an Indictment to prey upon property"
and that las a means OF making convicts
80 hate the social order m the laws
$50 The Higher Judge seems adj
mirably educational And your con-
illusions are hat the plot teaches les
sons which are not likely to be OF adj
vantage 20 the public when members of
the official audience are restored to the
community for the convicts are i'm
pressed with the notion that the courts
are corrupt and convicts victims OF
corruption and injustice"
Unfortunately THE SUN in this .
tlcular case displays a remarkable lack
of knowledge of the very subject on
which IL comments and the method of
reasoning which 1t employs Is extremely
narrow and Anticipated. There are sew
eral misstatements of fact In the arti-
Gle to which ] refer. Warden Thomas
Mott Osborn has never played pris-
oner' I'm Sing Sing but from September
rs, 1918. to October 3. 1913. he served
II voluntary confinement in Auburn
Prison. The play Tho Higher Judge"
was produced on Wednesday evening.
June .. not In Sing Sing Prison. but In
Auburn Prison and II was written and
staged by m Of Auburn. not Of
Sing Sing. The article. in so far as It's
statements Of fact are concerned. dis
agrees materially with the news article
relative to the event and reference TO
the item Warden Osborne Is Hero in
Prison Play column SIX. page Q, Of THE
SUN OF Thursday. June 10. will serve to
determine you editorial error.
THE SrN in expressing It's belief that
THE Higher Judge" IL AN Indictment
to prey pom property and is likely TO
cause convicts to hate the social order
and the laws" clearly assumes the posi-
ton OF an alarmist. from whence II
should logically denounce many OF the
dramatic productions which are daily
u hNI WI ~ NNAN wv ~
Americans for the plot in The Higher
Judge does not differ in character or in
principle from the plots OF a large per
Centage OF these modern plays. Cor
ruptlon and Injustice do exist. to some
degree. in reality. Consequently these
elements are depicted. but only TO a
certain extent, IN The Higher Judge"
and they are depicted. too. In many OF
the plays which have been highly sue
~ - -A.W 1~N.-w A-a1
by free members Of the community. The
good example. he who determines to
correct his way and thenceforth lead an
honorable life. Is also n reality. He is
therefore characterized IN The Higher
Judge and assumes the ascendenCy
toward the close of the last act. while
the so-called villain takes his inglorious
kit. These same features form the
basis OF plot OF much of our theatricals:
they are daily exhibited before the pub
lie. and are generally "A source Of in
terest. The play Alias Jimmy Nalen-
tine" although no longer "a great popular
production, Is a particular example Of
this and II thrilled the nation. II pre-
scented a very Interesting story II dis
played IN dramatic terms the good and
tho bad, and the wide difference between
the two II created admiration FOR the
former and rcvulsion for the latter and,
finally. It's effect. as n popular play, was
good ard desirable.
THE SUS. 20 claim that the Auburn
production is n force for evil and is
likely to cause conv!cts TO hate the
social order and the laws should also
contend that any play descriptive OF
honesty and righteousness on the one
hand and of dishonesty and un-
righteousness on the other. Is also a
force FOR evil and IL likely TO create In
the minds Of the members OF an audi
enCe. free people a. well as those inn
prisoned. a hate Of the social order
and the laws" a disregard Of law,
order and government and a tendency
toward crime. To be logical and con-
sis'ent THE SUN must evidently proceed
with rs contentious.
JOSEPH ". LYONS.
NEW PnrGUroS. Juno ~