Arizona republican., 1916-04-24
NEW ERA AT SING SING |S
 TRIBUTE ID HUMANE IDEA
Miss Alice Redewill Writes Interestingly of Visit to Great New York Prison. Where Advanced Theories Are Tried Out

A visit to the Sing Sing prison was recently made by Alice RedewiH the brilliant young local musician who is passing the winter in New York Miss Redewilfs impressions were not writ ten for publication but were con tained in letter to her parents, Mr and Mrs. Augustus Redewill and as such will be far more interesting to the public already familiar with the stereotyped accounts of prisons. She refers frequently to the warmth with which the prisoners spoke of Cover nor Hunt of Arizona.
 In part she writes:
 The Sing Sing prison was visited on Friday by bunch of us girls It IS wonderfully situated on the bank of the Hudson an hours ride from New York city. The prison has self government and one prisoner as much liberty as another whether he IS there for year or q life time. They pledge themselves on entering the prison not to take advantage of the liberties given them and if one of them does so he is looked down upon by his fellow inmates. | was astounded to see the remarkably fine faces within those walls One could never believe they were there for punishment. Of course some of them wore the map of crime all over their countenances
 Our guide, q prisoner, to serve one more year, was q very broad minded 2 fine looking youth who flooded us with information. We passed from the cold, damp cells which were only large enough for bunk, out into the open. They have work shops where underwear is made, they have their ANN#VN tured there for the inmates and an automobile shop and necessary ma chinery is being erected. Two or three well known New York men have sent their cars there to be over hauled and in time, the prisoners hope to have their independent auto mobile factory MT. Ford has done much for these unfortunate creatures who were subject to circumstances. He has over sixty prisoners in his factory now. They are started at sSl5 week for three months and if they prove themselves worthy at the end of that time they are raised in ac- Cordance.
 ''l was told by our guide that the prisoners will sometimes get into ter flble nights with one another and they would be so slashed up with knives they were sent to the hospital But they have reformed that now by giving them boxing gloves and when the fight is eXterminated from their systems they shake hands.
 l heard a band playing in the distance and asked where it was. We were escorted to the upper floor Of a building where a band of forty or more pieces were. The music was good and not q piece of music was in their possession. The instruments were given them by interested ac- quaintances. The leaders of the band happens to be life prisoner. pooi lad q happy go- lucky sort The fOul o'clock whistle blew and all stopped s work for the day Some played ten his. others baseball and others were returned to their cells for disobed fence of the rules. The baseball tean l can readily believe is of younl Hercules type and they have won thu honors from Yale and other college. of the east
 Next, We passed into the dining room. which is not unlike "Childs" 0 New York. But to see the rice an, gravy dished out at each place al most made me ill We are sendinl our guide an Easter box filled witt goodies a pleasant surprise to tn poor chap. l know.
 
 windows of the death cell wher twenty -one convicts were and man of these are only eighteen and tWent years Of age l was much amused b story our guide told us of Ger man who was sentenced within tn prison walls for life. Upon his en trance he remained on his bunk fo ninety days and the guards Wh passed constantly became accustome to seeing a pair of limbs with on foot propped up by the other kne' with a newspaper resting against i At chapel one evening, he slid unde q seat and when every one had lef he made his getaway. In the mean time he had placed d dummy on hi bunk. filling the trousers, socks an shoes with wood and paper. with tn everlasting newspaper resting on l His departure was not known unt five hours later. A little piece ( paper hanging from q trouser le gave the secret away This happene two months ago but the man has nt been found.
 Jack Barrymore, the actor, Visite the prison the day before we wei there and has promised them a pel formance. They have a large con fortable hall where Catholic an Protestant services are held, pictul shows twice a week of the best film and artists will sometimes offer the services for concert. On seeing u fine, new grand piano which W. given them, l said I'd play for the in joint recital with a Denver singe 1 could not refrain from asking
 they knew our governor of Arizon upon which several prisoners bur out with beaming faces. "Of cours Governor Hunt" The prisoners
 Sing Sing were more than please with his last visit to them and n only wished that he would con again, but wished that there we many more like him.