Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-29
INDIcT REFORM WARDEN.
Grave Charges Made Against Head o
Sinu Sinn Prison,

New York, Dec. 29.-Warden Thomas
NJ. Osborne, of Sing Sing prison, went
to White Plains today for appearance
before the supreme court to answer
indictments by the Westchester county
grand jury, charging him with perjury.
neglect OF duty and mismanagement.
Thomas Mott Osborne. the million
aire warden OF Sing Sing prison. was
Indicted by the Westminster county
grand jury. sitting at White Plains.
Following an investigation Of condi-
tions at the prison. Two Indictments
containing seven counts were returned.
One indictment charges Osborne
with having committed perjury in his
testimony at the recent inquiry con-
Quoted by DR.. Rudolph Diedling Of the
state prison commission.
The other indictment contains six
counts. The first count charges that
Osborne absented himself from the
prison on an average of three days q
week.
The second count embraces allega-
tions that he failed to prevent felonies
In the prison and report immortality
among the prisoners.
The third count charges Osborne
with permitting convicts to go into che
death house to visit Charles Becker,
the former New York police lieutenant
who was executed for participation in
the murder Of Herman Rosenthal.
The fourth count charges Osborne
with failure to maintain proper discip-
line.
The fifth count alleges that he per-
mitted fights between convicts.
The sixth and final count contains
allegations against Osborne's moral
character and his relations with pris-.
oners 1t is charged that thru negli-
gence he was responsible for many
crimes committed by prisoners and
that he was guilty Of unlawful and
unnatural acts.
When the return Of the indictments
against Osborne became known at AL
hany, John B. Riley, state superintend-
ent Of prisons, Immediately had con-.
ference with Governor Whitman. Then
Superintendent Riley announced that
Osborne will be removed from Office as
soon as a successor can be named
formally under the law.
Governor Whitman's comment was
limited to q brief typewritten state
ment, which read:
From the first have believed the
charges against MI. Osborne's personal
character entirely unfounded, and am
astonished at the action of the >grand
jury. But, Of course, know nothing
whatever Of the evidence which was
presented TO that body"
Previously Governor Whitman had
stated that in the event OF Osborne's
Indictment he would order his suspen-
sion pending trial.
Osborne is probably the best known
prison warden In the United States on
account OF the radical reforms he has
Instituted. Tho credited with being
millionaire, he accepted the post as
warden OF Sing Sing prison because
he desired to put to q test his the
ories regarding prison reform.
Osborne attracted attention by going
to Auburn, N. r. prison under the
alias Of Tom Brown and living with
convicts to learn something OF the
abuses Of the old prison systems. When
he went to Sing Sing he organized the
Mutual Welfare Prison league, en-
couraged sports within the walls walls, and
established other reforms. Only re-.
Gently he was banqueted in New York
by q number OF ex-convicts who had
been discharged from Sing Sing during
his Administrations.