Evening star., 1932-09-03
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH G. BOWERMAN.

arresting title for the book Of Lewis
z. Lawes, warden of Sing Sing for the
past IL years. Warden Lawes began
his work as penologist in 1905, as a
rookie guard at Clinton Prison. DAN
nemora, N. Y, in the heart Of the
Adirondacks, known as "the Siberia of
America" On his first night on duty
he was encouraged by an old guard:
| Tough place Toughest place in
the State. We've got the most danger
GUS criminals here. You never know
what they're up to. So you've got
to watch your step. They haven't any
respect for the new guards" After a
year at Dannemora, he spent six
months as a guard at Auburn Prison,
then eight years as guard at Elmira
Reformatory. He became interested in
the theories of criminology and pencil
ogy and read the works of Marquis
Becarria, Lombroso and others. "I was
ambitious, lenged for an opportunity
| to put my theories to the test. But
in those days no guard had ever risen
J to wardenShip or superintendency.
Politics saw to that. would have to
find more direct way. I decided to
| enlarge upon my studies" So, al
! though married man with family,
| he secured leave of absence from Ell
mira and went as student to the New
York School of Social Work His ac-
| quaintance there with Dr. Katherine
B. Davis, commissioner Of correction of
the City Of New York, was responsible
for almost immediate enlargement of
opportunity for him. In 1915 he was
appointed overseer of the New York
City Reformatory on Harts Island.
Under his direction the reformatory was
moved to New Hampton, in Orange
County, where by the work Of the boys
| and young men committed a new
| prison without walls" was built. In
| 1919 he received a summons to meet
Gov. Alfred E. Smith at the Biltmore
Hotel. The Governor greeted him:
How about going up to Sing Sing and
take charge? They need a man with
experience" Mr.. Lawes had had an
inkling of the nature of the interview
and had made up his mind to decline
any such offer, because Sing Sing was
a notorious political foot ball, and
wardens succeeded each other rapidly.
So he explained his wish to refuse.
Gov. Smith listened patiently. Then
he looked up at me, with twinkle in
! his eye. Young fellow,~-he drawled,
| it's all right with me. It's q tough
spot. I don't blame you for being
scared. It'll take big man to go up
, there and stay 1t was his challenge.
| And though asked for week to think
it over, knew then that I would be
the new warden of Sing Sing"
n x x
A very long chapter In Warden
Lawes' book Is called "a Prison Day."
The routine Of prison life is followed
from $50 in the morning, when the
first bell rings for dressing and bed
making. AL prisoners are checked by
the incoming day officers. At z the
officers open the brakes on the tiers
which control all the cell doors and
the prisoners march out to breakfast of
| cereal, with fresh milk, sugar, bread
and coffee. A half hour Of recreation
follows. Then the 8 o'clock whistle
calls the men to the shops. Sing
Sings industries manufacture about
seventy articles for sale to State, county
and city institutions and departments -
| The Assignment Board decides upon
the kind OF work for each prisoner.
Care is taken not to place together in
| J41CA WOlh Pi ioOilClS WIZ Lave kllOWIl
each other outside" a., of course
/ the work is adapted to the health,
physical strength and previous training
of the men. During the morning hours
Of work in the shops, the warden takes
an imaginary visitor to the school and
the library, each under the supervision
Of trained staff. With prison popula-
ton of $500, the circulation of books
and magazines during the past year
reached nearly $4,000. When the
whistle again blows at 11:50, the prison
band plays for the march to the noon
mess-roast veal, mashed potatoes, tur-
| nips, gravy, bread, cocoa, cornStarch
pudding. During the half-hour recre-
alton which follows, some play catch
| with base ball, some walk around the
| flower beds and the fountain, and those
who are soon to be discharged lie in
the sun, with upper clothing removed,
in order to secure q good coat of tan,
SO that each can present himself to
his unknowing neighbors as return
| ing vacationist." At 1880 all are back
in the shops. New prisoners arrive
and are taken to the Bertillon Depart
ment for fingerprinting, photographing
and Bertillon measurements. Some
greet the chief clerk familiarly; they
| rllOW R4dSC 4lO0l Pc1ob CApC4
The doctor, the psychiatrist and the
chaplain then interview them. Then
they appear before the Classification
Board and are placed in one Of the
groups, from A to F. Finally they are
given designation to a shop by the
Assignment Board In the afternoon
a visitor is shown the hospital, with its
J eye, ear, nose and throat clinic, dental
| clinic, pharmacy, pathological labora-
tory, X-ray rooms, Kardex system,
operating rooms, examination and
emergency rooms, diet kitchens. There
is time also for a visit to the warden's
court, whose duty 1t is to "unscramble'
the accumulation of behavior problems
within the walls" After early supper,
there are three hours of recreation in
the athletic field or prison yard-base
ball, bocci balls, miniature golf, domi-
noes "a favorite game), hand ball,
reading-all outdoors whenever the
weather makes it possible. Then at
$50 the evening lookup. An endless
line of men climbs the hill to the cell
blocks. up there on the hill In those
large buildings we hear the rattling of
locks and the clang of steel on steel as
brake bars are put in place" The day
is over. Not such bad life, some
visitors think-wholesonae food, abund-
ant fresh air, fair treatment, sanitary
conditions, the best of care in sickness,
books, recreations-but liberty is lack
ing and monotony is always present.
There is no monotony, however, for the
warden. Mr.. Lawes' book Is full of
most interesting stories Of events which
have made his life one of constant ex-
pectancy and the meeting of emer-
gencies-stories Of attempted escapes,
of gun smuggling, of prisoners quar-
rels, OF executions; stories grimly
humorous, pathetic, tragic.
X
| A disillusioned old lady, living alone
in big house in Portman square. Mrs.
Frederick Devonshire, knows very well
that the members of her family, of
| whom there are many, will react to her
death when 1t comes. not with sorrow,
either deep or gentle, but with eager
questions about what it may mean to
/ 4 Il. s-1lw