New-York tribune., 1915-11-07
ASKS
PUBLIC'S HELP
AGAINST FOES
Carnegie Hall Crowd
Cheers Warden as He
Tells of Plot.

Sing Sing fight 10 the people ana max
ing a popular issue Of il, Warden
Thomas Mott Osborne appeared yester-
day morning at Carnegie Hall before
the League for Political Education and
for an hour and quarter told the
truth about Sing Sing" as he sees it..
II was probably the biggest and most
demonstrative crowd he has yet ad-
dressed in this persoeal speaking cam
paign he is conducting to Offset the
efforts Of his enemies TO bring about
his downfall.
There were a few men there, but as
compared with the women their num-
bers were negligible. Carnegie Hall,
main floor and three galleries, was well
filed. and as Osborne walked on 10 the
stage he was greeted BY many seconds
Of applause. As he spoke there were
many more moments Of enthusiasm.
that reached its climax when he made a
direct and earnest appeal for a chance
70 be kept at Sing Sing TO 20 on with
mis- work.
Il rest my defence" he said, "on the
fact that l am trying 20 run sing Sing
honestly so as 10 give the prisoners
B square uthi SuCu Is lht1 HcFNi nav
before. II is your job, the job be
lieve you want me TO do.
Because | am trying TO run the
prison on the square there is afoOt a
scheme so dastardly that you may be
ready for any assaults on my personal
character II has been framed up At
| Great Meadows, the Cave Of Adullam,
where the malcontents against ME In
1 Sing Sing were sent by draft. because
4 il was necessary to break down my per-
sonal character before the superinten-
/ dent can be brought TO the point Of dis
/ charging me.
Diedling Comic Member"
81 have knowledge about this that l
am not at present ready to make pub
Z lie. but ] want 70 tell you 10 be ready
| for anything and withhold judgment
until have chance TO answer. | have
/ no maaia Of persecution. | am not
worried about the attacks on me. What
does worry me is lest you won't get
the right idea about Sing Sing
IL am not afraid Of any investigation
of Sing Sing, provided only it is full
and fair III go on fighting to the last
ditch and when we are past the last
ditch III go on fighting then
where he -" woman rose and asked
when the speaker finished. and the
chairman announced that he would an
swer questions.
Her question was greeted with a
fresh storm Of applause, that broke
out again when Osborne answered, by
every one of you using your personal
influence TO spread the truth about
Sing Sing and to win the support OF
men of influence 10 the cause
"Who is DR.. Diedling?" another
asked. c..
Prison Commission" Mr.. Osborne re-
piled.
He also held up to question the rea.
sons WHY District Attorney Weeks OF
Westchester County should be mas-
ING an investigation of assaults IN sing
sing He said no such investigation
was made in the years previous 10 ms
coming. although assaults were more
freouent and serious, and he polnte' !
ont that the District Attorneys OF
counties where other state prisons are
situated have not been moved TO make
Investigations, although assaults are
bappening there as often or more often
than al Sing Sing. Such matters ne
said. were part of prison disoipilhe, 20
ne handled BY the responsible hean Oh
each institution.
The Cummins Letter.
/, the course of his address Mr Os-
Lorne reneated much he has told hith-
er,o IN regard 10 what ne believes are
Incidents in the fight against him Tor
uitcrior purposes. but there was one
sntirelv new matter he brought out.
Thai was contained IN Il letter he SAID
30 bad received only yesterday morn
no charging that W. j. Cummins. the
former banker, while in sing sing
under Warden Mccormick was sto2i
icon for the warden and graft col
iector for a prison Official. Inc ietter
as he read IL was: -. ,,..;..
formerly a resident of sing sing am
dubbed by the newspapers as "a IeSpeo'
eble convict of Comstock. is deslrou'
~ giving information TO Dlstrlct nv
torney Weeks respecting conditlohs III
Sing Sing under your ADMINISTRATOR
Tho reputation of Cummlns was GENE
ally that Of stool pigeon Tor ""rue"
McCormick. ,.oa 90 no
- ,bo ;nside he was also known as a
on,,oc,or Of graft. Under the McCor-
noick administration certain amounts 9i o.
rnonev were charged prisoners for SOL dd
f iobs' and in one specific case si'Ooo
was solicited from one man. an eA-
banker. for a position
"At the time Mccormick WAS remove
s6oo in letter had been inclosed ana
handed TO Cummins. THIS was tne
n%ice FOR a position. and paid Tor b! a
nan now here This letter was inc