The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-07-10
New and Amazing Serial Describes One
Mans Long But Losing Battle
for Freedom

what do you mean by regis
tering here?" he reproved. II
want you ais my guest"
I made some excuse about "get-
ting cleaned up and calling him
up later"
He led the way through the
lobby and out to an electric run
about at the curb. The streets
were snow-covered and we were
obliged to proceed slowly. On the
way out to his residence he told
me many interesting things about
the city. and long before we ar
rived at our destination 1 felt en-.
tirely at ease, and knew I was
going to like my host immensely.
/ was shown to my quarters in
the big, roomy house. and pro-
ceeded to remove the stains Of
travel. Osborne came in and
chatted with me while I was
dressing, calling me by my first
name. He was like q pal. There
wasn't the faintest trace of pat
ronage or superiority about him.
Every moment / felt more and
more at home. In all my life 1
never formed so rapid and I'M
qualified friendship. We talked
as If we had known each other
always. I found him to be a
genuine democrat.
That evening at dinner I met
enc Of his sons and a daughter in
Law. He had four sons, all
stalwart young men, but I did
not meet the other three until
later. One son, l learned, was at
tached to the American legation
St Berlin. did not meet him
until after this country bad
broken relations with Germany
and entered the war, three years
later.
AS we entered the dining room
I felt embarrassed. was the only
person not in dinner dress. 1
noted. however, with some salts
faction. several decanters Of liquor
on the sideboard. though no liquor
was served at the meal.
The next day I spent at the
State prison. There were four
State prisons in New York at that
time-Sing Sing, Auburn, Clinton,
and Great Meadow. Auburn was
the oldest, and the women's
prison was also located there. in
O separate building.
The warden, Charles F. Rattigan,
was Osborne:s personal friend and
former business associate.
learned that Osborne, following
his voluntary week as a convict.
including confinement in the dun
geon for refusing to work. had
organized a self-governing system
among the prisoners. 1t was
known as the Mutual Welfare
League, and was at that time
two months old. Osborne already
had carte blanche in the prison,
and Rattigan, after I had been in
troduced, gave me similar privi-
leges.
Address Before Prisoners.
That night there was a mass
meeting OF the Mutual Welfare
League in the prison chapel. and
was elected an honorary mem
Der of the organization I was
called on for a speech, which /
delivered from the rostum. 1t was
my first speech to prisoners. and
I knew I could indulge in no
ima gination or flights Of fancy;
neither could l exhibit the least
trace of self-righteousness, but
must watch my step" They all
knew who I was. My book hal
been IN the prison library for
some time. 1t was, believe, the
most trying public appearance"
I have ever made. 1 have for
gotten just what I said, but
hinged everything on the declara-
ton that better and wiser prison
conditions depended entirely upon
retorm-of the public. That. pris-
oners, given the opportunity for
self-expression, could do the ma
jor part Of the work themselves
by proving to society that they
were just human beings, and not