New Britain herald., 1929-12-24
PRISON CHRISTMAS
 DANCERS GREETED
Sullen ConVictS Respond to First
 Lively Show in Months

Leavenworth. Kas., Dec. A (Pj- 1 The long gray columns marched 1 through the grim corridors of inc l federal penitentiary here, the feet of marchers beating solemn tattoo on | the stone floor. No babble of voices relieved the monotonous rumble. | The beat was the measure of strange, hollow silence. Eyes straight 1 ahead, faces inexpensive, the pri5- oncrs marched through the austerc rctunda, where the green and red lights Of a Christmas tree gleamcl dimly on the marble walls.
 To work? Oh. no, Not on Sun day. To the auditorium. Another lecture of some sort. Maybe a band of hymn singers or soul savers 10 make one weep.
 | Each Gets Program 1 Into the auditorium and single file into the seats, filling them as swiftly and neatly as a man could draw q straight line with q pencil. | In a few moments more than HOO men had filled the prison theatcr, each with a little white program in | his hand.
 "Christmas festival program-prc- scented by the Kansas City chapter of war mothers,' the program stated.
 Well, they would be expected 10 weep then, Sentiment! Bosh! Why couldn't a man so ahead and harden his heart. Oh well, might as well be there as any other place within the prison. On with the show. A kindly appearing old man with a close white mustache and no teeth, kept bobbing up and look ing around the auditorium as he used to look for friends in the the ater A young fellow with dark 1 complexion, an oiled pompadour and a weak chin, looked at the floor and | frowned. But most of the assembled convicts sat sullcnly, with fold ed arms, and looked at the worn curtain. Mail robber, bootleggcr, narcotic peddler, forger, counter ! feiter, bank wreckers-they dared the entertainers to change their sul- len mood.
 Refuse to Sing Hymn
 The prison chaplain said the in- vocation and Mrs W. II. Wyley, chairman of the entertainment com- mittee, wished the crowd q Merry | Christmas Then Harry kessell, a popular Kansas City singer and master of ceremonies, asked the boys in 8 chcerio voice to join him in "Silent Night" They stood, but did not sing. A few lips moved, but one can't sing very heartily Ut Leavcnworth or Atlanta.
 Then suddenly something hap pcned. It began with furry Of girls in modern dancing costumes, 6 furry of white crepe ana pink torium. Boy. Boys! A few yips went up. Step it up, girlie. Is it all right, Mir. Warden? Quite all right, said Warden T, B. White. Christ mas.
 Miss Doris Bicken. a red-haired girl with q voice like the sound or a clarionet came out and sang her blues, "I Amt Got Nobody 1 Sullen faces were remadc with laughter Che prisoners held their knees. And when q contralto note tremoloed, fingered and sobbe! !, they groaned and laughed The ap- plausc roarcd. Whoopec. Miss 1 Louise McCue and Miss Jane Affal- ter sang popular songs, and the prisoners forgot they had guards The warden smiled apprcciatively at the high humor into which his boys l had been thrown.
 All Look Transformed
 There was an hour of it. The boy with the frown and pout look cd transformed; the old man with the white mustaChe clasped and reclasped his withered hands ani said Well, well" under his breath
 And then the prison-the iron and stone and Stcel-rcaSserte ed itself