Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1917 — THOMAS MOTT OSBORNE IN NAVAL JAIL [ARTICLE]

THOMAS MOTT OSBORNE IN NAVAL JAIL

Former Warden of Sing Sing fJerved Voluntary Sentence —Cut Ice and Hauled Coal. Thomas Mott Osborne, former warden of Sing-Sirfg prison, N. Y.; John McCormick, professor of political science at BoWdoin college, Me., and Harry Baroskey, Osborne’s secretary, have jpust finished serving a voluntary term of imprisonment in the U. S. naval prison at Portsmouth, N. H. Handcuffed and in gray uniforms, they entered the institution to investigate conditions there at the request of Secretary of the Navy Daniels. Osborne, under the name of “Tom Brown,” and McCormick, under the name of “John Austin,” were booked r as deserters. They were compelled to obey all prison rules like the pother convicts; they received no pridfteges and had to do hard manual labor. The “millionaire.warden” had a real touch of work when orders were issued to ebal the prison. Armed with a -shovel, he took his place with the first squad out. With the weather not far above zero, the job was not one-for mollycoddle. But Osborne proved his fine physical condition, and none of the huskies excelled him when it came to shoveling. Later he took a hand at the wheelbarrow. When this job was finished Osborne "went on duty with the ice crew and pushed and dragged 200-pound cakes of ice over the pond to the ice house. Some of his »other bits of labor were turns on the rock pile and at cleaning up yards and buildings. Prof. McCormick did .not go out with the coal crew. He told the officer he was not physically able to stand that work, so he peeled potatoes in the-, kitchen. Harry Borosky went out with the coal gang, but he soon showed that his mission in life was not to hustle coal. iSo far as has been learned, tlie investigators. were fairly., well satisfied with their' treatment, although even Osborne’s request for a few writing materials and some personal ’belongings was denied. The ex-war-den’s prison hair cut, however, did not please him. Nevertheless, it is not believed that he will dwell at length on this misfortune when he makes his report to Secretary Daniels. Mrs. Eldo Landes left for Westfield today. Her husband’s parents are moving to a farm near Westfield.