New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-19

The convicts declare they believe ~
this new plan for regeneration OF men
this plan that will int them for tut
uro. that will strengthen them so theS
can fight the handicaps every "cN-con
meets when he goes OUT And WINE
am on this one thing they feel deco
Is is the lethargy of the public regard
ING them. They can't understand why
when man IS once IN prison, lh'
world should utterly forget him.
Here's something else. You want t'
get this as the men would put u
There has been good deal of rumoi
that men in prison are IN the Golden
Rule brotherhood for what they car
pet out of II. No doubt that Is true
But here's what the sincere men say
about that:
yes, there must be some men IN u
Just for what they can do for them
selves. There always are in every suct
movement. But if they keep up the
work. doesn't that help along"
! tried, in an amateurish way u
dclve into the stool-pgeon game u
Sing Sing. OF course, il necessarily
was only "A mild experiment But ! dl'
learn that there is small chance Tor 4
rat" in Sing Sing. Mr.. Osborne OF
taking charge announced from the
chanel platform that he would not toi
crate the system. Formerly a rat
got his pull. and unusual privileges, by
reporting other prisoners TO th'
screws" or officers. The Golden Rul'
brotherhood now handles all cases o.
Justice in the prison. The officers an'
screws" have nothing to do with n.
It's queer about these memories OF
the prison. A pencil does not run ias'
enough to get them down.
Pays Visit TO Shops.
Nv second day , Sing Sing we start
ed out, Jack Murphy, two other boys
and |. to make a round of the shops
The first we went into was the knitting
mill. Everywhere were whirring ma
chinerv and men with great piles OF
heavy prison underwear. Two Italian
bovs with oval faces bent over the
stocking machines. A citizen instructor
with gray hair and young face, Was
busting about. A delegate from th'
Golden Rule brotherhood was n
charge. This delegate, a smart chap
with tongue smooth with Gaelic per
suasion-the gift of CAB and mar
vellous enthusiasm, governed.
Guards used 90 be there, showing
nushing. driving the men at their tasks
There are none IN evidence now' anI
the shop does Just three times as muci
work as under the old system. Keat
that sentence again. This shop IL
story in itself.
In the mat shop prisoners stoope'
over wooden frames, weaving doormat'
fro,,, bon,u and coarse rome.
Its no good, this work, SAID th'
delegate there. "These men will nevel
be able to utilize what they have
learned. They can't work at TINS out
side. Machinery makes all the mat
nowadays. so what's the use? he meT
work here for a cent and half a DAY
and spend years at II. What good d
it when they 60 out?
Hears Chicken Matching Scheme.
81 want TO be in charge of the poul
try" he continued. Say, I've got th'
swellest plan. With just hens | car
heat an incubator. | know how TO keeI
them laying. And I've got another
scheme. / can keep hens setting al
the time. It's easy. I'll take iye hen
and set them all on eggs. Nnen th'
eggs under the hen that's been settins
the longest are almost ready TO hatch
| transfer her to the eggs that have
lust been laid. She don't know tn
difference. And | keep all the he en-
moving all the time. Great, isn't IL
Another waste Of human materia
was in part Of the shoe shop, l wa
told. Here men were cutting gu
vamps for shoes. They put steel pat
terms down on leather and cut aroun'
them with sharp knives. The delegat
in charge. a keen Drained man with al
Irish name, picked up one of the vamp
that had just been cut. acn
Look at that" he said. "See that!
He pointed TO a flaw in the leather
"All these men know" he said. lis hoy
TO nut the patterns down on the leathe
and cut. They don't know anythln
about the selection of leather-whethe
n sbould be thin or heavy, or, IN fac
ANYTHING about it. They have no on
10 teach them. We should have prac
teal man in here to show them. Other
wise. when they go out. how can the
compete with skilled labor"
Sunday Hell Banished.
And TO illustrate his point he aske
five of the men if they expected t
follow the trade they were learnlni
when they went out Of the prison. A
said yes" OF course they did.
All the time we were going abou
the shops the Auburn men were stoI
ming 10 talk with the workers, pickln
a few snatches of conversation wit
each. We went over to the print sho
not shop where they make prin
clothes. but the shop where most Q
the printing for all state institution
is done. Here also the "Star of Hope,
thar prison paper so filled with Patio
and humor, is published.
ave used 10 have plenty Of fights !
here" the editor of the paper said
me. the day after our visit. You SCI
that was when the men were Locked !
the cells from Saturday night to Nor
day morning
That was something that every II
mate always spoke OF when comparin
the new with the old regime-the faC
that men used to be Gagged up all da
Sunday. IL made the day hell. Man
times, there we're two men in each Q
the grewsome little cells. And mes
morning when they came TO work ther
were few who we're not snarllng an
ready at a moments notice TO yelp d
his noighbor. The editor said the
never got through a Monday with les
than three fights.
PLAYS Convict to Visitors.
Before / get away from the shops
must tell you the story of the Brookly
men | showed about the next day, Sat
urdav. And the reason I'm doing il
] "a +bat tho puhl