The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-07-01
REFORM is HIS HOBBY
Former Sing Sing Head, Who Has
Accepted Missouri Prison
Post, Led Attack On
Old Methods.

From the Kansas CIIy DIAL.
Thomas Mott Osborne, noted pris-
on reform advocate and former
warden of Sing Sing, who recently
consented to serve as adviser to the
Missouri prison board, is one of the
few men inside the pale of the law
who really knows prison life.
Osborne is Democrat. He is
leader of the "anti-boss'' faction in
state where Organization" is hard
to fight-New York. His home is at
Auburn, where he owns large agri-
cultural machinery plant. In New
York the wardenships were consid-
cred among the best Of the plunns
which the organization could pass
out to the faithful" The salary
was good, but there was a minor
source of income. Drug rings, ped
dig narcotics among the prisoners
and the broad road of revenue offer
ed through artistic manipulations OF
the PRISONS expenditures" offered
the best routes. Food allowances and
factory output also fattened the
purses of the machine "boys."
In these machine controlled state
institutions Osborne saw the great
need of reform. He saw the misery
and disease caused by the confne-
ment, drug consumption and unsani-
tary conditions. tuberculosis claim
ed many of the inmates. Working
conditions in the prison factories
were deplorable. Men, in physical
condition which would justify hospi-
tai treatment, were compelled to
work all day, and turn in their al
lotted output, or suffer the conse-
quences-floggings, tortures, and
in some instances, worse.
These things Osborne knew. Knew
because he had served term in one
of the New York state prisons, upon
his request, just to find out if condi-
tions were as bad as they were ru-
mored. He found them worse. Then
he carried his message to the people
of the state. He pictured the terrible
plight of the inmates. Told of the
harsh discipline which killed the NOR
al strength, just as unsanitary con-
ditions and cruelties killed the physi-
cal.
As a result of his incessant work
to reform prison methods he was ap-
pointed warden of Sing Sing by Gov
ernor Whitman, to work out the re-
form he advocated. His success in
this has made him a national figure
First he abolished the drug traffic,
and other methods Of graft which
worked to the detriment of the in
mates and the state. Good food re-
placed the old rations. Working
conditions even worse than at the
state were taught trades that would
benefit them on the outside. Self
government was introduced. Cruel
ties, torture, floggings-all were
barred. The prisoners were treated
as men.
But Osbone did not accomplish
this without opposition. The ma
chine missed its regular income. The
old graft" meant nothing to Os-
borne. He possessed more than
million dollars. But the 'boys" were
out in the cold, SO they planned to
get rid of the warden so they again
might bask in the sunshine. Their
attempt fell through and the prison
reform went on, spreading to other
state institutions and other states.
When war was declared against
Germany, Josephus Daniels, then
secretary of the navy, called upon
Mr.. Osborne to make survey Of
the naval penal institutions. At the
Portsmouth, N. H., naval yard he
found conditions even worse than at