The Denver star., 1915-12-25
PUBLIC MEETING
OF URBAN LEAGUE
Warden Osborne Of New York
State PEIsea Speaks.
fine PROGRAM IS RENDERED

statement Of Existing Conditions
Among the Prisoners At Sing Sing
Listened to by Theusands-Lsasus
Seeks Information For the Future
Good Of Its Work.
New York.-Nearly 1000 colored peo-
Sunday, Dec. II, to hear Thomas Mott
Osborne, warden Of Sing Sing prison.
describe the methods he has been
using to improve the conditions Of the
prisoners Of Sing Sing. The meeting
WAS held under the auspices of the
National League on Urban Conditions
Among Colored People for the joint
purpose Of giving to the colored citi-
zens of New York an intimate ac-
quaintance with the work that Mr..
Osborne has been doing and knowl-
edge of the achievements Of the league
during the past year.
In addition to Mr.. Osborne's address
the program consisted Of musical num-
bers by Europe's Orchestra. by Free
mans Negro Choral society and by
H. l.. A. Jeter. cellist. and report on
the work of the league during 1915
In ten cities. given by e. K. Jones.
associate director. L. Hollingsworth
Wood introduced Mr.. Osborne. and
DIR. E. p. Roberts presided. A collec-
ton Of $1O5.57 was taken up following
an appeal by Charles W. Anderson.
chief Investigator OF the department
of agriculture.
The warden described the new sys-
tenn at Sing Sing. He pointed out that
serious disorders had been reduced 81
per cent as a result Of his methods
and that the average number OF es-
capes per year had been reduced from
93-7 to 3. In fact, in one year before
he became warden nineteen prisoners
had escaped. The number OF men be-
coming insane as a result OF solitary
confinement was In one year reduced
90 per cent In telling about his re-
cent difficulties he In part said:
"'rhc most dangerous man Is not the
criminal who comes up from the crowd.
II Is the educated criminal who. be-
cause OF his education and his craft
and the misuse Of his opportunities for
The most monstrous and most con-
tcmptible man that I have ever met.
either In prison or out. was q college
graduate When you read about the
attacks on the warden OF Sing Sing
you want TO know that the attacks
were started and formulated by this
clever type Of criminnl-the criminal
with the superior intellect These are
not the men who steal s.. They are
the men who steal 100000. II II
not the man who attempts 10 steal q
pocketbook. II Is the man who at
tempted to steal judgeship from the
people.
I'm prison they want everything In
sight They are not satisfied unless
they have the opportunity to buy up
privileges. They don't like the present
system and the present warden be-
cause under II and under him the old
system Of graft has been done away
with. These men. I am proud to say.
have offended. Then there are other
men who have proiited by graft I'm the
past and hape to profit by II In the
future. These. also. have offended.
1.-THE time is near when we must
have n new prison. These clever crooks
know that with the present warden In
office It will be more difficult for them
to get over the graft than 1t would bc
with me out They are determined TO
get me out now. Whether they do or
not Is up to the people. The new sys-
TEN can stand my removal by death.
by voluntary resignation or In other
legitimate ways. but there Is one thing
the new system cannot stand. the pris-
ons department cannot stand and the
state cannot stand. and that il to have
any honest public servant thrown out
Of once in the way they will have to
throw me out in order to get me out"
One Of the officials Of the National
League on Urban Conditions devotes
the greater part of his time to juvenile
court work. In cases where coiored
boys or girls are held for minor Of
fenses the leagues official looks q fter
the care and secs to It that justice Is
given the accused. The league has
been especially fortunate In prevent
ing young offenders from being asso
ciated with hardened criminals.
1t was mainly to find out from
Warden Osborne all the particulars in
work Of this kind that the officials OF
the league invited him to speak on the
abeve occasion and-n also In order that
they might confer with Mr.. Osborne
on other matters pertaining to the IN.
ture work OF the organization.
At the close of the meeting Rev. VIII
liam p. Haynes. d. D.. pastor OF the
Mount Oiivct Baptist church. proposed