Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-23

were, IN tnelr testimony when IL came to the
subject OF food s. E. Arnold said there was a
scantiness sometimes when bad meat was sent
back and good meat was not obtained in time.
Allen E. Clark said sometimes the meat is
good; often 1t was tough and at times tainted.
VIM. Fl. Arnold said the beef was tainted Il
have known cases." he said. where it was kept
over and made stew Of on the following morn
ing. Occasionally we get tender piece of
meat. but as a general rule it is pretty tough"
John G.. Lee said the officers table was very
poor. and they seldom get hold Of good piece
| of meat. Frequently, he said, he had to go of
to get a meal he could relish.
letter from DR.. Thos. J. Chew. formerly
resident physician. to which he subsequently
made oath: Is also put in testimony. He testi-
fed to having found 1t necessary to administer
Opium to Mrs. Stoutenburgh in the usual Doses
and that he never had seen her under the in
| fluence of opium or liquor.
Some OF the witnesses also were asked their
| opinion of McGuigan. and said they believed
him to be meddlesome and unreliable.
THE OTHER SIDE.
John G.. McGuigan. who brought the charges,
| testified to having seen Mrs. Stoutenburgh on
several occasions when he believed she was
! under the influence of liquor. On
one occasion, he says, she would
have fallen into the boiler if he
had not caught hold of her. Around the fe-
male workhouse when she appeared there
| sometimes and gave the ribbons of her hat TO
| prisoners people would say ''Sallie is drunk"
When asked why he had not brought these
charges before, McGuigan said that he would
| have reported these facts. but Stoutenburgh
| came to him and begged him not to do so, be-
cause he did not want his family exposed and
| did not want to lose his place.
Mr.. Wheatley-Did you think of bringing
| this case to the attention of the Commissioners
| before you were discharged? A. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Wheatley-Then why did you not do it?
A. Because | was talked out of it. went to
Mr.. Webb about year ago and told him how I
was being prosecuted.
| Mr.. Wheatley-I never had any knowledge
OF it ~. Mr.. Stoutenburgh told me that he could
use Mr.. Webb. but that ne could not use Mr..
| Wheatley or Col. Ludlow.
He knew, he said, of his own knowledge,
| that wards in the almshouse were filthy. and
that the clothing is lousy and dirty. he knew
| that he had not seen Observation-Disclosures there for
| four or five weeks at a time. AS 10 the charge
| of cruel treatment, McGuigan said he knew of
| Prather's beating women with his fist, and
applying abusive epithets to them. Il told
StOutenburgh about il, said Michigan. HE
said he did not care just SO he kept them damn
! niggers quiet" He had often, he said, wit
messed Prathers i'll treatment of these pris-
oners. He said his dogs would
! not eat the meat that was served to him.
| He spoke of one occasion when ham was on
the table and several maggots came out of it.
AS to other charges, respecting the disposition
| of old material &C., Mr.. McGuigan said he had
| the statements of other witnesses.
Christina Hilfnger, school teacher at the
| workhouse, testified that she had seen the
| matron under the Influence but not to such
| an extent as to impair her usefulness.
| ID. 1. Johnson, formerly employed an over
seer, declined to answer when asked about Mrs.
| Stoutenburgh's habits. Joseph S. Stettinius,
| formerly employed at the workhouse, said he
| had seen the matron about the grounds and in
| the female wOrkhouse under the influence
| either of morphine, opium or whisky, but he
| thought she was able TO do business. He had
seen her that way number of times.
Frank McEntee, "A Waterman at the asylum,
| said he had seen the matron, when to all ap-
| pearances, she was intoxicated. He did
not think that he had seen her that
way more than q dozen times in the
| nine years he had been employed there.
| He knew the poOrhouse building to be in
| filthy condition two years ago. They used to
| get, he said, about and 81 pounds of tea to
81 gallons of water. 1t did not make the tea
very strong. From 3 to 6 pounds of coffee
was issued for 81 gallons of water.
Daniel Stewart. watchman said he had
seen the matron under the influence of liquor
once when his attention was called to her by
Mr.. Michigan, bat he thought she could attend
to her duties. He said the food poor in
quality ndinsuficient. Officers sometimes went
home to get good food Daniel TindalI, clerk
at the asylum, said he had never seen the
matron ''notoriously drunk" but Oh one or two
occasions she may have been under the in
huence of something.
Lizzie Brown, nurse in the almshouse,
| testified that she had seen the matron under
the influence of liquor. Sometimes she was
able to attend to her duties. At one time she
had to hold herself up against a door. She
thought the affairs of the asylum could be much
better managed
Thomas Rearden, the tailor, said he had seen
the matron under the influence of something,
but she was, able to attend to business. He
said often meat not tit for use is given to en-
ployes, and other food Is poor in quality.
Charles Howard, ambulance driver, testified to
the beef being bad.
THE SALE OF OLD MATERIAL.
The Commissioners had the testimony of J.
o. Il. Kuhn Ambrose Gosnell and Chas Pryor,
who bought the old barrels from the asylum,
showing that there was sold from there
about 600 barrels during the wear at about l2I6
cents apiece. L. G. Gatchell. carpenter at
| the asylum. testified that he had in the last
two years dlsbursed about $50, derived in this
way. among the inmates
A letter submitted from ex-Commissioner
West to the effect that he had permitted the
sale of old materials without rendering an ac-
count. and disbursng the money as gratifica-
tions among the inmates
Commissioner Webb as stated in The STAR
stated that he had sanctioned this practice He
presumed that Mr. StOutenburgh had kept an
account of the sales.
THE INTENDANT's TESTIMONY.
The intendant, Walter II. Stoutenburgh. was
examined i'll his own behalf He thought these
sales amounted to $3.50 to IS per month. and
in making them he had simply followed
the old custom. using the money to encourage
good service among inmates of the workhouse
and Others. He said he had instructed
officers never to strike a weman except in
self-defense, and he never permitted
any unwholesome food to be used if he could
help it. He thought that the inmates
received much better food than they
had at their own homes. He was not
questioned regarding the charges concerning
the matron. his wife, and made a general de-
nal of the other charges. explaining his
methods of inspection and management.
WHAT MR.. M'GUIaAN SAYS
Mr.. Michigan, who preferred the charges
that led to this proceeding by the Commits
sioners, when seen by a STAR reporter to-
day, was smiling over the testimony
given out by the Commissioners He
remarked that the thought that some
of the employees who had, notwithstanding the
unfavorable conditions, testified to some OF the
truth would probably be removed soon. Mr.
McGuigan quite indignant over the
manner i'll which he had been
treated in the inquiry. Witnesses. he
said were called up apparently only to testify
to his reputation and he had had no oppor-
tunity through counsel. or in any
other way, to investigate them or
defend himself. Mr.. McGuigan produced
letters and testimonials from a number
of well-known citizens beside his record in the