New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-02
CHURCH QUITS
AS OSBORNE'S
SING SING AID
Deputy's Departure a Sur
prise to Prison and
His Friends.
q. w. KRCHWEY
NOW IN CHARGE
No Friction, Says Mr.. Osborne
on Brief Vacation at His
Auburn Home.

/ Warden Thomas Mott Osborne left
/ Sing Sing for brief vacation at his
Auburn home Sunday. Elihu c. Church
ceased to be deputy warden yesterday
and George ". Kirchwey. former dean
Of Columbia Law School and a member
/ of the Prison Commission, took nomi-
ral charge as acting deputy warden.
/ Actually Fred T.. Dorner, principal
/ keeper, is in charge as acting warden.
/ The suddenness of Mr.. Church's do
parture from official life OF Sing Sing
| led TO various rumors about the prison,
and in prison reform circles one was
that he had been forced out because Of
differences of opinion with Mr.. Os-
borne, who, il is declared. has at times
/ held that Church was too much COM
mitted TO the army idea of discipline.
] The change also led TO a revival Of
reports that Mr.. Osborne would shortly
Quit the post OF warden on account o.
his health, which has not been robus,
! most OF the time he has been in the
prison.
/ Mr.. Church's departure from Sing
Sing was made after hc had returned
1 from a flying trip to New York. this in
/ turn following the receipt Of a letter
! from Mr.. Osborne. delivered after he
/ had started for his home. Just what
was in the letter Mr. Church declined
20 say last night on the ground that
/ il was personal in its nature. He did,
/ however, say that the time for which
! lie was engaged expired on yesterday.
II came here OIL September 70 stay
two months" said he, "and my time is
now UP. SO am going back to my pro-
/ fessional work as an engineer with
Harrington Emerson. My relations
Z with Mr.. Osborne are friendly"
THE reason Mr.. Church has lett,
f said Mr.. Osborne in Auburn last night,
"is that his term is up. He came TO
/ me at great personal sacrifice for a
period of two months TO lay out eer-
lain work. Tha. has been done, and
/ he has left. He will continue TO aid in
an advisory capacity
/ Mr. Osborne was asked if Church s
/ leaving was not sudden in view OF the
/ fact that the engineer had been su-
pervising the overhauling OF the old
I woman's prison as place OF resi-
dence. >,
/ we are going to let that place,
7 said the warden. THAT is why It IS
being fixed up"
May Say Something Interesting.
Mr.. Oborne added that he expected
TO be in Auburn until Saturday. when
ne comes here to speak before the
) League for Political Education.
II may have something interesting
to say then" he said.
The departure of Mr.. Church from
/ Sing Sing comes as surprise 70 MS
/ friends. who say that within fort
night he had been planning 70 stay az
! the prison over the winter. To thls
ond he arranged the renovating oI the
4 women's prison and made other ar
rancements for a protracted stay.
When Professor Kirchwey. who is a
close friend of Warden Osborne and
has been an observer OF the reform
movement under the management OF
SIR. Osborne. wss asked II his pres
ence at the prison during the "aroeh
absence might be taken TO mean that
he would supersede him he said:
"Mv presence here does not indicate
that | am 10 supersede Mr.. OSBORNE,
/ hut to the exact contrary. | ar, mere
| TO give him an opportunity TO rest and
/ pet back his tone in order that he may
continue his work. cannot conceive
/ OF any circumstances which would al
] 81
| should be offered TO me.
Tho unofficial designation conferred
mon me BY Mr. Osborne is acting
warden. Under the law the principal
| keeper performs the. duties OF acting
warden.
During my stay here Of week to
ten day< I hope to be able TO profit BY
/ II. and ! hope Mr.. Osborne, as we'll as
the state, will profit by my rather en-
I forced stay.
~ believe that Mr.. Osborne's expert.
msnt should be allowed 10 go or and
prove itself, whether for better or
worse. it is too important TO be
checked st this stage
Would Aid Investigators.
II during the absence of Warden Os-
/ borne any officially represented person
/ came 10 the prison for the purpose OF
investigating affairs there Acting pep
uty Warden Kirchwey said he would 90
everything he could TO assist IN the
work.
This was suggested by the fact that
District Attorney Frederick +. weeks
is preparing for grand jury invest
I cation Of Sing Sing affairs. The Dls.
trict Attorney repeated Yesterday INA,
Warden Osborne came 70 him. aho
actually begged me not to can any
witnesses to White Plains. for tne pIt-
bose of calling them before the no
yember grand Jury. c;,r
The report, Of assaults al sing oi"s
/ Continued on page 4. column