The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-18
CONVICTS PROUD
OF SELF-RULE,
SAYSOSBORNE
sing Sing Prisoners, He Says,
Work Well Under Their
Fellow Prisoners.
TELLS CIVIC FORUM
OF NEWBORN HONOR

wHrrr rLAINs. Jan. 17.-Thomas Mo-
osborne. warden of Sing Sing speaking
before the civic Forum in the High School
h,,Id,nE here this afternoon. replied to
IN. criticism of his administration tina,
snarated last evening from Poughkeepsie.
n. described Sing Sing under the old
syrten and Sing Sing under the new
system.
"A morning newspaper" he said. Says
mat cnaos igns ~ Sing Sing. If what
Exists there to-day is chaos ! am glad
rraos has come. The discipline in the
rrlson never was so good. though To-
prisoners themselves administer punish
,nsnt The prisoners are working as never
re,ore under Sneir fellow prisoners
There is no guard in the mess room when
t5. prisoners are at meals. The pris-
o,ers yak rs they eat | have not pun
she'd prisoner since | have been at
SING Sing.
The prisoners are being treated like
human beings We have got rid of bru-
tally because We realize that the pr.s-
onsr% are men, weak in spots perhaps,
hut ", don't know what We would have
done r We had been In their place.
The prisoners court, conducted by
the prisoners themselves, does not send
men TO tho dark coils, but susrends men
from the League or Golden Rule Brother
hood Tor any diSobsdiencc. I have found
mat tn, prisoners do not like to he dis
,plntd by their fellow pris pncrs. They
nave pride hat makes them strive 10
avoid that The punishment which the
eague metes out is suspension from the
eaFue, shown by black band on the
d4b9r-ed from the entertainments pro-
,dtd under the auspices OF the league
Loves TO smash Rules. lie says
We have JUS smashed rules at Sing
SuE-aad [ love to smash rules, The
p-soners have done the rest. They have
SHOWN that they appreciate being treated
pth common sense, which means that
tley arc being treated as human beings.
They are allowed 20 do their work with
uu, constant surveillance that means
slavery; they get every day an hour
~ recreation and complete freedom IN
the yard and are permitted TO talk 10
ono another without using the gruut lau-
suaEe a device resorted to by prisoners
to speak to one another when the guards
we're near.
appreciate that sort OF treatment MT
osborne pulled two 81 bills and a silver
na'f dollar from his pocket. You sec
hat" he asked. We'll, we had $40
MEMBERS Of the Brooklyn civic club AT
INC prison yesterday and one prisoner
vas assigned 20 every two visitors u
row them about the place. told inc
,s'.ors not 10 give the prisoners any
money. as 1t is against the law. well
re~e IL 500 which the visitors a!'ri 9
DO ,hn guides and which was handed bacN
% me by the prisoners themselves ~
east twelve prisoners that ] kno" OF r'
used money that was offered 10 t,'H,
ore prisoner said We'll, Y YOU ""H, "
hsln MS out. give il to the brotherhood.
we have taken the guards from theI
s.3tIouary positions In the workshops hU'
nave left the prisoners TO work on nc
honor The result has been thlt III tu'
,aoe shop. for instance, twice as thau!
shoes were turned out by the same mum
her NJ men last month as in the pr'Nlou
month. The same increase holds IN th
other shops You see, when me olli'c1
uc-e constantly on hand Watching w
won the prisoners were Watching t'''
and they were keen enough to kno" t'
minutes ahead OF time just what mos
guards were going to do. They nave IN
s,boolboy love OF bucking the teacher an
uhcn YOU removed the guard you al
away with the incentive for loafnG'
Mr. Osborne answered many question
after he had finished his speech. tic wa
asked about the article In the lnornln
newspapers saying that prisoners wh
u,re heaten by other convicts were afrai
20 testify.
ConyIcts Help In GRAFT HINT.
Tia, story was half truth and ma
rs" he said, "and YOU rem mber Una
Teuuyson said that half lie is the olac.
eS' kind Of lie ! want to say that u
pr soners are helping MS uncover man
things at Sing Sing. ono OF these
petty graft why. in the course o. tIl
nnfnrn the nrisnnerS' court last week