davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
MONS may be all right for
laundry workers, conduc-
torettes, women whose
lines ono Ill i


laundry workers, conduc-
~ torettes, women whose
lives are all bound round
by machinery, whose livings must
be gained from manual labor, but
for the actress, the artist-never,
declares Amelia Bingham, noted
actress and theatrical manager, who
has resigned from the Actors
Equity Association because, as she
declares, the union rules were be-
coming not only too stringent, but
altogether too personal
In plain words Mrs. Bingham as
serts: cts nobody's business who
sign with for next season, how many
hours l rehearse, how much time i
choose to give to performances, or
what salary / am earning. This is
what | mean when I say that the
unions zeal to care for us and help
US is getting too personal"
Thus far, William Gillette, known
as the "never- has been-interviewed
actor, is the only other Broadway
light who has "seceded from the
union" Mr.. Gillette was caught
nnawares during the week and gave
via telephone, what his press agent
declares is the longest, if not the
only, interview he ever gave. 1t
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
4 DroIL Dummy

The prison is still laughing over VIZ
fight of Jean Kirsher from Iof@'.
Warden George w Kirchwey, the n's.
scholarly penologist Sing Sing has .Sv'
had. Jean went out January II i'.N
leaving in his wake a propped-up -
ure, with outstretched arms, clasp''s
newspaper. The newspaper ooscD,Ss
from the guards view the lack 81
head. which Kirsher did not take =.
trouble to make. His foot work. nj =,
ever. was superb. He made We"
proportional set of legs, with ahA,'
and feet costumed in silk hosiery aas :.
new pair of oxfords. He crossed -, W.
legs. What the keepers saw "Oa.e
satisfy the average person thai -.
prisoner was lying down, with his ''s'
crossed. reading the days news. :, -
When Warden Kirchwey was te'o V
the souvenir Kirsher left him ne '.
dered it photographed and prese'" IS
Last heard of, the headless "prise"''
was still kept in an old dark cell % =.
illustration to prison visitors OIL ~
trickery prison officials have 10 w.
bat when an ingenious prisoner ms'S'
up his mind he will be going.
So long as criminal, anxious 70 -
fetter himself, can make sucs'"N
to occupy his cell. there will be eso.fN,
from Sing Sing by the dummy ras'As-,
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22

ances in excess of eight each week
Mr.. Gilmore says this was deemed
beneficial for the reason that re-
Gently holiday theatricals to the
number of two or three extra a
week have often been given without
any extra pay for the actors extra
work
Four weeks of free rehearsals for
dramatic productions and six weeks
for musical comedies, with any
number over these paid at the rate
of half salary, is another thing
Won for the actor by the equity con-
tract. Formerly, says Mr.. Gilmore,
person could try out for six, eight
and ten weeks at free rehearsals,
fail to win part, and get no money
whatever for services.
A weeks notice must be given a
company prior to the termination Of
an engagement. individuals whose
services are no longer desired or
needed receive two weeks notice,
which allows time for search for an
other position.
There are number of lesser
clauses included in the new con-
tract, all of which Mr.. Gilmore be-
lieves will help to put the theatrical
profession on more businesslike
basis.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
Case OF Holland

James Holland, another Manhattan
burglar, was in only four weeks of a
fifteen year sentence when on Novem-
Der ID, 1880, he left man Of straw
fitted out in his prison stripes. Like
McAllister, Holland was youthful and
ingenious. Warden Brush ordered
Detective Jackson to hunt him. Jack
son ascertained who Hollands sweet
heart was. He watched her house.
Finally, he saw her walk out. He
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22

because Warden Walker had sent out
men to try to recapture five convicts
who held up Engineer Dennis Cassin's
freight train, forced him at the muz-
zle of a revolver to jump off, and
then escaped on the stolen locomotive.
Kate, in the confusion, again gained
the roof in the night. In making her
getaway this time she varied the man.
ner of descent. She slid down a rope.
A storm was raging on the Sunday
night of October IS, 1873, when Brady
and Miller, in adjoining cells, made
two images. They used excelsior and
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
Wilson'S Odd PROXY

The proxy left b. John Wilson, alias
Paddy Barry, a Brooklyn robber, was
not Of the soft, collapsible type. He
made an unusually stiff image. H.
filed a striped uniform with sand
sawdust, wood shavings and stols
-four. When the guards shook the
legs of the occupant on the morning
of October IA, 1869, it did not fall 70
pieces as do so many dummies. "a
fact, it took the combined efforts Of
three burly keepers to carry out The
! heavy figure, lift it over the gallery
railing and let it fion to the store
floor FIVE stories below. Warden Ne
son unceremoniously bounced ta'
keeper who was on Wilson's galleN
that night. a.
Michael Toomey vanished from ths
cell block March 81, 1878 There wsS
a stuffed occupant left to represent
him and foil the guards in his absence
but Warden Hubbell believed he va;
slowed away in the yard. Later the
fugitive, who had hidden under the
shoe shop floor, found the heat OF tas
steam pipes too much to endure. nc
emerged from his hiding and was
captured The remainder Of his sen
tence he was encountered with Do"
and chain
Principal Keeper James Connauga,
ton, on November 10, 1888, called ou'
Joseph Weille, about to give the prison
80 "absent treatment" from his ce'i
vn'n >alr of pants, shoes, stockings
<. 1 COS. he had made dummy an'
-; las, about to begin moulding u,
head from a quantity Of smussls'
dough when the jailer interfered' INV
effigy was confscated and Wei!le ~s'
left in dark cell several days.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
BY Edward T. Kavanaugh

w 20, s::s a.: ~: s::.::
other night he left behind,
in his cell, q startling likeness Of him.
self in the form Of dummy.
There was nothing new in that. In
the last fifty years an even dozen
guests" Of Sing Sing have decamped
by means of similar stratagem. But
McAllister, having something Of the
artist and something Of the sculptor in
him, bequeathed to the warden coun-
terfeit prisoner most unusual. In the
memory Of the oldest citizen of the
little city of Ossining no dummy close
guarded by . keeper through the long
watches Of the night ever was so de-
ceptive. 1t had McAllister's nose, his
hair, and even his Adams apple.
James Jackson, state detective, re-
tired recently after horty-fve years of
prison service, remembers the majority
Of these dummy escxpe cases. More
than once he has observed keeper in
expressibly Inundated to find that
overnight his prisoner had changed
from blood to straw--.nr even paper,
sand and brick.
Women have turned tho trick as eff
fectively 40 men-Kate Connolly, a
chronic jailbreaker, for example. She
modelled a stuffed figure that fooled
the guards and gave her'a good start
on November q, 1869, when she made
one Of her unlawful exits from the old
female prison at Sing Sing.
Much as Warden Edward v. Brophy
regrets McAllister's disappearance, he
can console himself that other war
dens, older and more experienced than
he, have been fooled more.
There was Warden Gaylord B. Hub
hell. While serving a second term he
had two images left him by James
Brady and William Miller, bank burglar
and highwayman, respectively. OF the
dozen dummy transactions" Sing Sing
has had. this is the only double
header"
Augustus A. Brush, who reigned the
longest Of any Of the prisons wardens,
lost two prisoners in separate breaks
by the trick, and nearly parted with a
third in like fashion. Addison johnson,
next to Brush in length Of service as
warden of Sing Sing, had choice bit
Of stage property in the form Of a
dummy slipped to him.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22

head for an image. In another case
the fugitive used a wax head some one
gave him.
The prison staff thought McAllister
so skilfully reproduced himself in the
image that Warden Brophy had Ber-
tillon Officer Louis Powers, who
mugs" the men sent to Sing Sing for
the prison rogues' gallery, officially
photograph it. The institution will al
ways have something to remember Nc
Allister by.
Kate Connolly was an ARCH windler
and shoplifter. When but sixteen she
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22

learned the art-for art it isA-of iail-
breaking in getting away from Black
Wells Island prison by floating across
the East River on gate. The wintry
day she left Warden Henry C. Nelson
the dummy stuffed with cloth she
stole from the laundry of the Sing
Sing females prison, she slowed away
on the roof until early morning. Then
she slid down lightning rod to the
ground and made off.
Recaptured four years later, she saw
another opportunity to flee on May s..
1875. The prison was short of guards
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
Any Warden at All

In working the dummy ruse on war
dens the artful runaways have fooled
severe, old-system penologists and new
idea reformers alike. They showed no
favoritism between Warden Russell,
who did not pet them, and Professor
Kirchwey, who did. They deceived
them both.
Only those familiar with prisons I'M
derstand how difficult it is to prevent a
convict escaping by stufing a figure
in his cell. Counting or guarding an
effigy, in mistake for human being,
seems foolish. The layman is under
the impression, when he reads of a
convict getting away and leaving the
keepers a stuffed figure, that he went
to much pains to play q joke on the
prison management. This Is wrong
Jailbreakers are not ordinarily Joke
smiths. Their only object is to gain
their freedom. II they model q dummy
it is because it plays a very vital part
in the plot to get out. Dummy making
is prison art that is hazardous and
must be secretly done. Discovery Of q
dummy in his cell usually means soil
tary confinement for the prisoner OF
indictment for attempted jailbreaking
Possession Of dummy inside a prison
is punished with the same severity az
the carrying Of burglars tools on the
outside. AS the cells arc officially in.
spected once or twice a day, an inmate
making one runs a grave risk Of beina
found out.
Sing Sing has a popularity which
permits an effigy to work wonders
This is explained partly by the fac
that there is no wall on one side. The
Hudson River waterfront of the ole
bastile is not walled Of. Between the
prison yard and the river there is onl,
rickety iron fence about seven fee,
high and easily scaled. For an escap.
the water route affords the easiest wa,
cut.
During the day, when prisoners ar,
in the yard, armed sentries pace bacl
and forth on tho dock outside the iro,
fence. More guards, with long rang,
repeating rides, keep vigil in tn
watch towers atop the twenty-foot wall
to the north and south. From there the,
can sweep the dock if they have t,
open fire. These rifles awe the mos
desperate criminal who would like t
vault the fence and try swim TO,
freedom.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22

victs got the jackscrew, established
that Keeper John Clubhouse supplied
it. Gale exposed him. For his
treachery Clubhouse was tried, con-
victed and sentenced to Sing Sing.
He was alleged to have received $4,000
from the safe-blower for supplying the
necessary tool to break out of the
"Dlock."
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
w Convicts Escape Sing Sing Leaving Dummies Behind

trailed her down town, cross tow,
back up town. She returned to a
house. he waited patiently. Whe, !,
came out again, jackson followed n
roundabout route she reached 4 -
Stewards department store. &.
stepped into the doorway and th.,.
was the escaped convict. He kis..,
her. Jackson slapped a heavy han,
from which dangled a set Of op.o.,
handouts, on his shoulder. "Jacksors,
exclaimed Holland. "I'll do Sft...
straight for this, dear" The girl v.,.
as Holland and Jackson walked au,,
Charles Courday left a dummy q.
Warden Russell to remember him \,
when he decamped on the nigh, :.
October 81, 1870. 1t was 'Hallowe,s,
ard as celebrators outside of pris,,
were playing pranks Courday thousss
he would play one too. The whit.
stripes of his own uniform he colorsi
with lamp black, squeezed out ,
window and slid down a rope.
James Finn, twenty-six years ola
who had only two months more Of
five year sentence for robbery |,
Brooklyn, afterward rued the day h.
stuffed a figure in his cell and A.,
from Warden Addison johnson
Keeper John O'Keefe, on the morninp
of February 9, 1900, broke the news II
the warden. that he had counted ths
dummy of straw, waste paper and rsvs
all night, imagining it was Finn. In
the interim Finn had lifted the doc,
of his cell off its hinges in the female
prison building, sneaked along tn.
gallery and stole out through Inc
skylight. Warden johnson ordered
seventy-six convicts immediately taken
out of the female prison until it could
be made "escape-proof."
Jackson trapped Finn in New York
in just two days, took him to White
Plains, had him indicted, convicted Of
jailbreaking and given four years
more for taking his unauthorized IVA.
cation"
George Lavery, "lifer" who had
served ten years, formed some dis.
carded uniforms into a dummy and
propped it up in his cage on the night
of December 20, 1882. By slowing
away in the storehouse he was able
to get into the yard after the guards
were taken off the walls. Procuring
ladder, he easily mounted the north
wall and dropped to safety on the out.
side Warden Brush suspended ever
keeper on his gallery.
William Francis on the morning Of
January 81, 1871, left choice bit d
stage property to impersonate him in
his cell in the block He had served
only few weeks Of twenty year,
sentence. Somebody had smugglei
+ in to him the wax head of a clothing
store misunderstanding model. He
added torso, arms and legs and then
costumed the bogus prisoner in his
prison stripes. Shortly after Warden
Russell dispatched guards to search
for him night Waterman at larry
town saw fresh tracks in the snow
He followed them and dragged the
escaped convict, wearing stolen over.
alls and jumper, out from a pile Of
shavings.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22

Shortly after the convicts finish their
days toll they 90 in from the prison
yard. They pass within the mess hail
for the evening meal. The rest Of the
night they must stay indoors. They
may 90 about tho mess hall, chapel,
dosmitory and cell ock, all connected
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
No,u Comes Daring

The stowaway's wit has carried him
80 far. Now he muet rely on his dar-
ing. There are two armed watchmen
somewhere around the prison yard
There is little chance, however, that
he will run afoul of them. The yard
and dock are lighted, but not brill
iantly. He can keep tabs on the
watchmen's movements and then slip
past them.
He has ample opportunity now to
shin over the wall, provided he is/a
good climber, or can get rope, ladder
or some other contrivance to facilitate
his ascent. Or, more easily, he can
vault the fence, drop into the Hudson
and swim around the walls to the shore
outside.
He can be miles away before the
prison populace turns out of the cell
block at 6:45 in the morning. The
lineup in front of the cells before
breakfast first reveals to the dunn
founded keepers that one of the Gail
birds" has flown, and that the figure
they thought was his, and they counted
all night, is really dummy.
What makes it hard to distinguish
between a genuine prisoner and a
stuffed resemblance of him in Sing
Sing is the ancient type Of dingy
stone cells. Each is virtually a tomb
They are all incased in stone, except
the steel door with the lattice in the
top. This is the only opening. 1t
affords but q poor view of the inside
from the gallery. The keeper looking
in to count the occupant is handi-
capped.
When it is borne in mind that hun
dreds of prisoners are repeatedly
counted, day in and day out, night after
night, it isn't any wonder that even a
watchful guard counts dummy which
corresponds. in size and general appear.
ance to the culprit he is accustomed
to seeing.
The dummy recently fashioned by
McAllister, the young Bronx burglar, is
a gem. AS work Of art every one
who has seen it agrees with Warder
Brophy that it is a masterpiece Nc
Allister made it to his own image anc
likeness. He stuffed trousers, coat
stockings and shoes with paper, card
board and other filling. He stol.
dough and soap and moulded head
with features, profile and even thu
prominent Adams apple Of his owr
throat. Being an artist and sculptor
he went too far to complete the de
ception.
When he had transplanted some Of
his own hair ana made a bushy croT
on the crown of tho models head, hi
stuck on eyslashes and a slight growth
Of beard. Then he took his paint
brush and touched up the cheeks.
When he was through, the dummy.
face had 4 rosy tint like his own com
plexton. The latest getaway Is the
only instance where a prisoner made
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22

Stuffed Successful in the Past

by corridors. But they are securely
barred and locked within.
From mess the convicts go to the cell
block at Z o'clock for the count. This
is to discover abscntees. Each man is
supposed to be in his cell and be
| checked. A similar tally is taken at
| 10 o'clock, when the prisoners retire to
their cells for the night. This is done
| by guards moving along the galleries
and looking into each cell through the
crisscross lattice. in the top of the
heavy steel door.
If an inmate is to escape two prob
lens confront him-firet, to cheat the
| count, and, second, to hide in the yard.
The only way to accomplish the first is
to be counted by proxy-that is, leave
an image in the cell that will fool the
keepers checking up. Usually the pris-
oner absents himself from his
work in the afternoon after he feels
sure his cell has been given its daily
examination. He goes into it, hastily
constructs and lays out the bogus
prisoner" Once he has it planted he
shuts his cell door and repairs to the
prison yard.
He then executes the rest of the plot.
He slows away somewhere within the
prison yard and awaits the departure
walls. They are called off at 1880
o'clock at night if no prisoner is
missed. The supposition is that there
is no need Of further guarding the
outside Of the prison. The cells have
all been securely locked in the block.
theoretically no prisoner should gain
access to the yard during the night if
the keepers indoors do their duty.
The dummy maker can now emerge
from his hiding. If the guards are
not sent into the yard to search for
him he knows the keepers have Sc
cured all the cells and will not open
them again until breakfast time. They
will guard and count the effigy all
night.
Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-30
Government Aid on Housing Problem.

\ The Town your own home" propaganda is
being helped along by the Department of Labor,
which suggests several thoughts. 1t may be an
intimation that the federal government plans
to follow up its time activities in the matter
of housing workmen. Great Britain already
has gone long way in this direction, and our
own government made considerable progress
around certain industrial concentration centers
while the war urge was pressing. North Da-
kota has been blessed with law under which
city jewellers may receive assistance up to
$4,000 and farmers to $4,000, although in each
instance the borrower must have at least one
fifth of the sum he wants from the state, Under
similar conditions he can borrow on terms quite
as favorable from building ard loan association
or from bank. The advantage of substituting
public for cooperative help in this respect does
not appea'. Homecoming is properly urged on
ALL Thrift is fundamentally involved Whether
the help comes from federal or state govern
ment, the home owner first must help himself.
Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-30
The Boss of the Home

From Judge Kunkel of the county court of
Dauphin county. Pennsylvania, comes de-
cision so luminous, spacious and final that it
transcends county and state lines and recon-
mends itself by its own merits to the laws the
codes and the hearts Of all American states and
all the American people. tyrant man COM
planned OF "cruel and barbarous treatment" to
him given by the wife of his bosom. Accord
ing to his unverihed and possibly romantic
plant, the lady, undoubtedly for cause and his
own moral improvement, had kicked him sound
" in the shins to the incarnadining of the tibiae
aforesaid The old defense and description Of
justified or necessary gentle battery was
smolliter manus mposuit," laid hands on him
gently. Doubtless the Pennsylvania tyrants
wife molliter pedes inposuit, kicked the brute
in the most delicate and forbearing manner pos
sibie Whatever the manner of the operation,
the judges opinion looms up as world-beacon
on the downward path of man:
"A man has full rights in his own home
against everybody but his wife. But when she
starts something it is the husbands business to
beat retreat. When puts wife into
his house he cannot complain about her treat
ment He had large field to draw from"
Thus the whole duty of man when his wife
Starts something is laid down by authority.
In such case the sometime lord of creation
must take ieg-bail at the top OF his speed. When
Dido has quit cutting W her didos pious Aeneas
can sneak back home-New York Times.
Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-30
Problem of Emigration,

We still think in pre-war terms of immigra-
ton, and plan for the sitting out, classification
distribution and assimilation of foreigners seek
ing asylum on our shores. Maybe the expert;
ence of the coal operators will turn our
thoughts to a different phase of the question
The Black Diamond says:
A recent survey made by the National
Coal association, covering approximately one
third of the total number of foreign-born
workers in the bitunlinous coal fields. shows
that approximately II per cent of the foreign
born miners expect to return to Europe as
soon as they can Obtain passports Slightly
more than half this number intend to remain
permanently. Should this proportion be
maintained throughout the entire Industry, of
the estimated 100000 foreign-born workers in
the biturninous fields it is figured that about
Atlantic as soon as the government will
allow them to do so.
If this be extended to otEer of the basic in
dustries, IN which the foreign labor has largely
predomnated, we may foresee general recast-
ing of plans in America. With government lib
eralized, standards of living improved, and the
bane of rlilitarism removed, Europe will hold
many who formerly left for political or social
reasons, while the great task of rebuilding is
going to set up such economic conditions as will
offer quite as much TO the wofkingman as may
be had in this country. 1t is problem of emf
grafton with which we may have to deal.