The New York herald., 1921-01-30

II
Lawes warden of Sing Sing Prison,
that neither war nor economics nor
prohibition nor any other of the influences
which affect people in the ordinary walks
of life has any bearing on the number OF
men who commit crime In the course of
year and go to prison for it. Major Lawes
has been In charge at Sing Sing little more
than year, but before he went there he
was warden of the New York City Reforma-
tory at New Hampton and has been inter-
ested in crime and reform work all his adult
life. And he says he does not know what
makes men commit crime. He doesn't be-
lieve any one does-not even the men who
commit it.
Since perhaps people have formed the
habit of explaining everything by the war,
numerous persons within the year Of his in
cumbency have asked Warden Lawes If 1t
isn't true that since 1917 there has come
change in the number and character Of
criminals and that more educated men are
going to prison than ever before and that
more are being committed for crimes of
ingenuity than for crimes of violence.
Giving Ossining on the Hudson
Something of Fifth Avenue Air
Possibly certain resemblance to Fifth
avenue in the landscape around Ossining on
the Hudson on those days when convicts are
allowed to receive visits may account for
the idea that none but the gently nurtured
are going to prison these days. Granting
first the proposition as propounded last year
by the editor of a certain journal Of snob-
berry that Fifth avenue isn't genuinely
smart thoroughfare any more; too many
people use it," the landscape in and about
Ossining on visiting days has these salient
features about 1t.
At about the calling hour all the taxicabs
in the village and in each of the villages to
the north and south Of it line up along the
platform at the Ossining railroad station
and wait for the train to come in. Presently
it arrives. From it there alight from score
to twoscore young women apparelled accord
ing to all the traditions of that Fifth ave-
nue. which too many people use-fur to the
ears, skirts to the knees, silk stockings to
the skrts-each bearing a parcel or box
for friend. Sometimes there are more of
them than there are taxicabs Then few
of them have to wait because as these
things are done to-day 1t is the worst pos
sible form to walk to the prison. Those
who do not have to wait array themselves
in the taxis and without their giving the
chauffeurs any directions are driven to the
prison.
OF course, the editor who wrote that Fifth
oughfare any more would bleed at the
mouth and ears II any one were to suggest
that these girls who come to Sing Sing on
calling days were ladies. Even the taxi
men, who have learned that a cons girl
always adds a good tip to the fare II you
don't ask her where she wants to go. don't
maintain that But under their panoply of
war paint, lip rouge, fur pieces and silk
hose they make a sight to fill and hold the
eye az they foregather outside the main door
of old Sing Sing on visiting days and fur
nish some plausibflity to the excuse Of the
man who insists that the war or something
must have changed the character of the
men who fill the prisons now.
But practical Warden Lawes denies that
the war has or that, as far as he can fig
urs, anything else ever will.
Few College Bred Men Among
1855 Convicts Booked In Year
There were 1865 convicted felons re-
ccived at Sing Sing within the year ending
December 81, 1920, of whom 902 were white
men, 151 negroes and two Chinese. Out of
the lot college bred men did not predomi-
nate. There were "a laborers, SO machinists.
81 chauffeurs, 81 tailors. 40 teamsters. 10
electricians. is plumbers, IS steamftters.
II carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, 6
sheet metal workers.
In addition to these there were 81 long
shoremen, 35 statesmen, "a mechanics, 80
walters. 80 clerks, 20 farm hands, 10 mu-
sicians, 16 sailors Is cooks, IL butchers.
out of the gentler walks of life only single