The evening times., 1896-01-12

The keepers OF the wOmen's section OF
the workhonsc are TO be changed.
This announcement follows close upon
Tie Evening Times investigation and the
consequent official inquiry which, iii the
most important points, sustained the pub
lication and made recommendations of re-
form in line with The Times discovery.
The matter has been kept as quiet as
possible, but sharp fight is In progress
over the places to be vacated.
"Any changes to be made at the work
missioner Ross.
mo, not that know Of"
IL have been told that Overseer Giles OF
| the female workhouse will go, and Mrs.
| Giles with him."
| Mr.. Ross looked as II he would like to
Piled:
"wen, II there are any changes there
| they viii be voluntary"
Mr. A. Giles has held the position of
| oyerseer at the workhouse In the women s
| department for about four years. His
| wife has all the time been keeper in spe-
| cial charge of the women. Their pay has
been $500 a year with hodse and food.
| But the work is very trying. Mr.. Gi' S
| has hardly been the man for the place, II
reports are to be credited. This has been
| due to his goodness of heart rather THAI
| anything else.
Mrs. Giles has succeeded better, but
| there has been complaint even of heI
management. Both have been dissatisfied
| also with the excessively disagreeable du
| ties they have been called on to perform
| 1t is said they have grown so weary CT
| the work that they determined last week
| to quit. 1t is reasonably certain that their
| places will be filled in short time.
MORE OF THE STORY.
But the going of these two keepers is
| only half the story. The choice of their
| SUCCESSORS is creating a little tempest about
the Commissioners.
There are several candidates. One OF
them is backed by the Grand Army in
flueBce, which is becoming potent again,
and possibly by the American Protective
Association. Another is favored en-
ploye in the District service and now
udS tbc Dtot oHON ioi thC PiaSc. 4 he
first is Col. W. W. Jackson, who was a
brave soldier in the war ard wears his
title OF right.
He has been unfortunate in many ways
since and needs the PLACE badly. He is
said TO be man of EeeiN intelligence, o.
good judgment, and especially is Possessed
OF that firmneSs OF control, which 1T will
presently be seen is SO necessary to tht
position he seeks. His wife Is credftel
with being entirely capable to manage
her share OF the work. The Grand Army
people are making a stiff fight in theii
behalf.
The other candidate most talked OF
and who has really been SLATED for the
position, is N. j. Fitzgerald, now a mes
senger in the office of Secretary Tindall
at the District building. His position
and relations there have never been quite
satisfactory either to him or to Commissioner
Ross. About a month ago he was sent
over to Georgetown as station-keeper in
place of A. v. Conway, but after an
experience of three days, gave it up. He
said, toward morning, his head began TO
ache and he couldn't stand it. Since that
time he has been back-in DIR. Ttndali's
office.
Mr.. Fitzgerald is rather a small man,
over fifty years old, nd fitted rather
for his present place than for the fierce
encounters an overseer at the female work
house is likely to encounter. II he goes
there the burden Of duties must inevitably
fall upon Overseer Talbot and other strong
men. ---aH-s
"Why, they'll murder Fitz over there, -
exclaimed an ex-guard at the workhouse,
when he heard Of the proposed change.
''Tve been there, and it takes good man
to handle those negro women. ] came
within an ace of being beaten to a jelly
by team Of them myself one day."
Superintendent Cutler of the Municipal
Lodging House. who was doorkeeper at the
workhouse for a year, and was once or
twice, in a pinch. assigned to duty at the
women's ward, said:
"Those women do the most outrageOusly
disgusting things and bite and scratch like
wild animals. Mr.. Talbot's experience
recently with that half crazy girl is not
unusual. There is one black woman here,
Eliza Cant, who spends most OF her time
in the workhouse, who can whip any po-
liceman in town. 1t takes four men to
handle her when she is taken down. She
cut another woman at the B. & o. depot
recently and it was all two stout police
men could do to hold her and get ber to the