New-York tribune., 1920-05-16
Life Sentence
Termed Worse
Than Execution
Ex-Convict and Secretary
of Mutual Welfare League
Believes s'Rickey'' Harri-
son Was Not Guilty
Wardens Hear Talks
Colonel Hunt Disapproves
Honor System and Lenien-
cy With Military Offenders

A life sentence in prison presents
far more horrors than the electric
chair, in the opinion of George Hodson,
ex-convict and secretary of the Mutual
Welfare League, who, With Frank
Tannenbaum, Of Columbia University,
a former prisoner, gave wardens and
prison superintendents q few pointers
yesterday.
The occasion was conference on
"The Call and What 1t Means" at the
annual meeting of the National Com
mittee on Prisons and Prison Labor, in
the Biltmore Hotel. The meeting ad-
journed with a reception and discussion
of prison problems, military and
civilian, at the home of President
Adolph Lewisohn, Heather Dell Farm,
Ardsley, in the late afternoon.
Hodson told of his early life, his
enlstments in the army and navy, SER
vice in the Philippines, his misfortune
in falling in with bad company and his
commitment to Auburn prison for muir
der in the second degree.
Hodson, educated and possessed of
not believe "Rickey" Harrison was
guilty.
Expects Truth in Chair
Il read" said Hodson, that as he
was seated in the electric chair he pro-
fessed his innocence of murder and |
want to say to you people that no man
who ever faced the electric chair and
who stood on the threshold Of eternity
RI oil ho ma
way about it-would deliberately tell a
lie. Personally, think he told the
truth"
He said he thought the electric chair
was destined to be abolished, although
Imprisonment for life holds terrors
that are inconceivable to free men.
Tannenbaum, leader of the so-called
unemployed riots during the first part
of the Mitchell administration, who
served year at Blackwell's Island
and later entered Columbia University
where he was graduated with honors
held the old system of prison admins
tration to be repressive.
Lewisohn, in opening the discussion
alluded to "some murderers" with
whom he was on friendly terms anc
said they were "geod people" after they
had been restored to lives of freedom
and renewed opportunity.
ct is significant that with recent
prison reforms the number of Grim
inals has been greatly diminished"
Tells of Military Prisons
Strictly Humanitarian methods and
honor systems may be the best means
Of aiding the prisoners of civilian in.
stitutions, but military prisons and
disciplinary barracks require more Sc
verify, Colonel John f. Hunt, com
mandant of the disciplinary barracks
on Governors Island, told the dele
gates.
eve have no right to gamble with
the safety of our country" declared
Colonel Hunt Il have tried to make
the guardhouse for short periods OF
time a very disagreeable place for sol
diers sent there as punishment for va
rous offenses. I must say that this
proved very suecessful-with norma
men,
"a normal man SHES at the sight o,
a guardhouse thereafter, and he thinks
before he commits another offenst
which will take him there again"
Prisoners League Useful
! Colonel Hunt said that All honor as
sociation of the soldiers at the dis
/ ciplinary barracks had been abolished
and d prisoners league substituted
This had proved highly effective il
maintaining a degree of morale anc
| obedience.
The big problem in the handling O.
military prisoners, he said, was thu
treatment of short-term men. These. h,
explained, would sit back and wait TO
the end of their sentences withou
making any effort to develop or trail
themselves in a vocation. The life
timer, on the other hand, he said, al
a rule adapted himself to his new en-
vironment with an ease which made TO
personal efficiency and the rearing O.
solid qualities in character.
Major J. E. Morrison, commandan
of the prisoners salvage plant, nea
Toronto, told of the encouraging re
suits obtained in the training of 10000
men committed there for terms no