The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-20
HE SCORNED AN ESTATE
Would Not Cross the Atlantic
to Be a Lord.
PREFERRED THE PENlfENTIARY
oueer Old Character " as Capt. Jack Dade.
Warden of the Greeniesf Point PeniIen-
tiary During Tyler's Administraiion-
Cousin of the President and Celebrated
for Ills Profaniiy-Bad a Good Heart,
Nevertheless, aud Was Kind TO Inmates.

for Ills Profanity-Bada a Good Heart,
Lord Francis Townshend's estate and
! a lOTdship can so to kingdom come. |
would lot cross the Atlantic for all the
estates and lor1ships In England. Nov,
Lord Ashburton. that's an eld to 1t, sir
II the ocean Is ever bridged. and Tn:
around / may go over; but I'm Id II
| venture T. make the trip by water, ST..
/ am not going, sir; end that settles it,
This Was the positive and emphatic an
swer C2pt John 3. Dade gave Lord Alex
snder Barring AshbuTtOn, Engiand's spe-
Cial Minister TO the United States. when.
in lA2, he told Capt. Dade that by going
to England ne might come into posses
sion Of Lord Francis Townshend's g.
tates ana be made lord. Capt. Dade
was the keeper or warden of the United
States penltent!ary at Greenleafs Point
under Tyler's administration, and ne and
Lord AshburtOu became fast friends
Lord Ashburton had every reason 10 be
lieve that Dade was the rightiul heir TO
Townshe nd's estate, and repeatedly tried
10 persuade him to go over and lay claim,
but was always unsuccessful, for while
Dade did not fear man nor devil, there
was nothing which could tempt him TO
go on water. Some of his family lived in
Alexandra. and when he wished to visit
them ne would go miles out of the way
In order 10 make the trip by land. Dades
former home was Albion. near Colonial
Beach, and it was one Of the prettiest
ana most valuable homes in the State
containing nearly fourteen hundred acres
1t was granted to Francis Townshend,
and here that son OF England lived and
died. The estate was handed down by
entail and otherwise through the Dade
family branch, until it reverted to Joha
B. Dade. Written documents now in pos
session of Capt Townshend Smith a
resident of Washington and grandson of
Capt. Dade. show cOnclusively that Lord
Ashburton was correct in his belief that
John b. Dade was entitled to the Francis
TOWnshend estates in England, and that
lOrdship was mis- simply by going after
it. After Lord Ashburton had concluded his
work Of assisting in negotiating a treaty
adjusting the northwestern boundary.
and was ready TO return TO his home in
England, he made another effort to have
his friend Dade go 10 England and take
possession of the TCwnshend estate, but
was unsuccessful.
How He Got job.
Capt. Dade was better known as "Capt.
Jack" "Peritentiary Jack" and "Damit
Dade," the latter being given him on ae-
count of his frequent use of profanity.
1t is said that Capt. Dade could swear in
every known language including South
Washington, and ring in new cuss words
lengthwise, crOsswise, up, down, and
slantirg, in a manner never before at
tempted or accomplished by any known
Nirginian. and that the manner in which
he did it made one feel that it was posi-
lively elegant and refined But the gen.
tleman had positive and emphatic ideas
There was no deception or. hypocrisy
about him; he was plain open and shut;
a hater OF sham, and possessed of a heart
as sympd athletic and easily touched as d
Womans.
When he came to Washington he
brought with him 4 very strong letter
from his cousin, John Tyler. then Vice
President of the United States, to Pres
ident Harrison. capt. Dade wanted a
government jOD. and the Vice President
had written the President that Capt.
Dade was well qualified to fill any posi-
Smith SAYS of the letter:
Before grandfather had a chance to
deliver the letter in person TO President
Harrison the President died, and of
course Tyler became President. Grand
father went to the White House and pre-
sented him the same letter. Well, like
all politicians. Tyler tried to get out of
the hole in which he found himself. but
nd EF-.fr /. II
his fodder by saying. Cousin John. do
you propose TO go back on your own
words? In that letter you say thatI am
che OF the best men in America. and
WELD a tremendous influence in Virginia.
and now you are not willing 10 take your
own medicine damn it, Now | want the
job without any shenanigan about it"
Tyler saw that he had to do something.
and asked him, We'll, Cousin Jack, what
can l give your" Grandfather replied in
his characteristic way, Don't give a
damn what it is. John Tyler. so it's a
slnecure-plenty of pay and 10 work"
Warden of Penitentiary.
After some crOss-firing Tyler asked
grandfather how he would Ike tho Mace
as Warden of the penitentiary: INA, il
paid s., 500 year, and he would be 1ilow
ed cows, sheep. hogs, chickens, carriages.
horses, two servants. and d go9l resi-
dence. I'm take the Job" SAID grand
father; Il might as well get acquainted
with the penitentiary. for if / gallon with
you politicians long | will wind I'D there.
anyway" Tyler told him that the position
of Warden ranked high being almost
equal TO that OF a Cabinet officer. and
that as soon as he had assumed charge
he must give an Old-fashiOned Virginia
dinner, to which he and his Cabinet must
be invited. This grandfather agreed 10.
and a few days after ne was installed as
Warden the dinner was spread. The
President and the Cabinet was there. and
they had a royal time Of Il, for rI.and-
father knew just how 10 get W A dinner.
After the dinner was over the President
told grandfather that Ii was his du,y to
make a talk 10 The cOnvicts, and tell them
what he would expect of hem. Acting on
this suggestion. grandfa her htd the con-
victs brought OUT into the large room, and
mounting a chair. he said:
''Gentlemeu-no, you ar. not gentlemen,
for If you were you would rot De here.
Fellow-citizens-no. d-n you, no fellow
citizers of rhine. COnvicts-yes. couyicts.
that's il: All | want 10 gay 10 yo1 IL thar
/ am going 10 be boss Of his place. IL
you behave I will see that you are treated
right, but God have mercy on you II you
don't behave. New, get back 10 Your
holes, and remember what / nave sAii 10
you. d-n you
Capt. Smith said that the convicts
imagined by the red-nOJ talk o. The neW
Warden that their prison life wOulG be
made more miserable ihan ever but in
This they were mistaken. II was NJ. more
than an hour after he had made .hem
the brief but pointed speech before they
were enjoying a good dinner, the best
they had tasted within prison walls. ana
from that hour they knew that all thst
was necessary was 10 live -eligi0uslv I'd
10 the rules governing the Dcni-enIiary.
When one failed 10 do this he was coon
made 10 know and feel rhat the Ny OF
the trsnsgTess0r was hard. During Can.
Dade's entire service - Warden there
was little or no trouble II the p-ni
tentiary. and the conyicts were very f1fd
OF him.
His sympathetic Nature.
Though profane and rough in his lam
guage. Capt. Dade was 4 man Of a kindly