The Washington times., 1925-07-31

: the convicts their own court was
on a higher plane and much more
incorruptfble than the courts
which had committed them to
prison.
l know, so far as I was con-
cerned, after attending prisoners
court sessions several times, that
I would had I been hailed before
it unhesitatingly have come
cfean" and relied confidently on
square deal. tempered with
mercy.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
Life at Sing Sing prison was so
kaleidoscope during the months
OF 1915. with what seemed like
important happenings crowded into
the background almost daily by
happenings OF still greater import,
that my mind now refuses to give
chronological sequence.
shall. therefore. set down such
events as stand out in my recol-
lection, and in which 1 played my
part. These may not be, probably
are not, the most important things
to record. so far as history Of
Sing Sing during that period is
concerned. but I have recently
learned such a history is now
being written by Tom Osborne
himself.
Sing Sing entombed a number
Of prominent" prisoners who had
lived in Bankers Row and en-
ioyed many private privileges. 1t
had been the custom OF the poll
ticians who controlled the prison
to make life as easy as possible
for thieves in the five. six, or
seven-figure class-offenders who
had wrecked financial institutions
or gotten away with thousands of
dollars of other peoples money
through high finance,
This applied especially to those
who had retained their spoils and
were able to buy prison favor
When Osborne took charge, for
example, there was a high
powered automobile in the garage,
the property Of a convict who
had bought 1t for the warden's
use, with the understanding that
he, the convict, was to be the
chauffeur. This man had been
permitted to drive to New York
and other places almost at win,
until disaster came through pub
Iicity.
Other efbon TONS" However, were
still enjoying special privileges and
favors. and, in a way, ruled the
prison.
Change In Regime
Osborne determined to change
all this. not by arbitrary action
though that was justified-but
through the influence of the pris-
oners' organization, in which
every man had voice. As a re-
suit, it very soon became apparent
that out-and-out burglars had
more principle and better con-
ception Of true social values than
had tn-and-out bankers and other
captured wolves of finance. The
prominence" of the "silk stock
ing" class soon faded, so far as
the prison was concerned, and
hitherto obscure prisoners began
to rise toGDhe. top by sheer force
Of ability and inherent character.
And be it said in passing that
in the workings Of prison self
government the stool pigeons and
four-flushers had no chance to
pursue their evil practices. They
became nonentities, creatures
openly despised by all.
Among the men thus forced to
the top, where they could be most
useful to themselves and their fel.
lows, We're Canada Blackie,'' and
Billy" Duffy. OF course there
were others, including Charlie"
Newman, George Hodson, Dick"
Richards and ok. Bill
Richards had as keen a mind as
any man have ever known, with
memory and a capacity for an
alysis that would have carried him
far in the realms of legitimate en-
terprise outside. Blackie / had :
first met at Auburn prison, where
1 found him in solitary confine-
ment, in the "incorrigible" ward.
In SOLITARY" For Five Years
He had been in prison twelve
years and in SOLITARY five years.
He was Gbf the slender, wiry type,
with black hair, turned gray, and
determined eyes and chin. He
reminded me very much of my
friend, Jack Black, in San Fran
cisco he from whom / had
escaped" that night at the Older
ranch when my friends had in
duced him to act as taller" over
me in an effort to keep me from
further drinking.
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