佚名 /Anonymous
In 1921, Lewis Lawes became the warden at Sing Sing Prison. No prison was tougher than Sing Sing during that time. But when Warden Lawes f inished work some 20 years later, that prison had become a humanitarian institution. Those who studied the system said it was because of Lawes. But when he was asked about the change, here's what he said, “I owe it all to my wonderful wife, Catherine, who is buried outside the prison walls.”
Catherine Lawes was a young mother with three small children when her husband became the warden. Everybody warned her from the beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls, but that didn't stop Catherine! When the f irst prison basketball game was held, She went into the gym with her three beautiful kids and she sat in the stands with the prisoners.
She thought: “My husband and I are going to take care of these men and I believe they will take care of me! I don't have to worry!” She insisted on getting to know them and their records. She discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she paid him a visit. Holding his hand in hers she said, “Do you read Braille?”
“What's Braille?” he asked. Then she taught him how to read. Years later he would weep in love for her. Later, Catherine found a deaf-mute in prison. She went to school to learn how to use sign language. Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of Jesus that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921 to 1937.
Then, she was killed in a car accident. The next morning Lewis Lawcs didn't come to work, so the acting warden took his place. It seemed almost immediately that the prison knew something was wrong.
The following day, her body was resting in a casket in her home, three-quarters of a mile from the prison. As the acting warden took his early morning walk, he was shocked to see a large crowd of the toughest, hardest-looking criminals gathered like a herd of animals at the main gate. He came closer and noted tears of grief and sadness. He knew how much they loved Catherine. He turned and faced the men, “All right, men, you can go. Just be sure and check in tonight.” Then he opened the gate and the criminals walked in line, without a guard, the three-quarters of a mile to stand in line to pay their f inal respects to Catherine Lawes.