The National tribune., 1900-08-02
CITY HALL.

wall inclosing small yard. where the
prisoners were allowed to take the fresh
air, and within this inclOsure was erected
the whipping-post, where the lash was
used, with no color line.
An old, respectable colOred woman, who
for years has held position in City Hall
as maid d-of-all-work, says she remembers
lash. She was a little girl. Her mother
lived on e street. The first she ever
heard was the men crying with the fall
of the lash, 30, Jesus, Jesus, look down
in pity on mer' Her mother told her that
1T was the cries from the whipping
post" The last man to receive a fogging
was a white man. The deputies in charge
were Mr.. Keenan,, Tippet, Burr and Will
Jams.
When Gen. Hunter was Marshal, Mr..
Robert Ball, father of the late Col. Bob
Ball was Warden of the jail.
Some time in the thirties, while Mr..
Ball was Warden, the blue Jug prison
was built. This was a brick structure,
three stories high, built on the northeast
corner of judiciary Square, with the cell
rooms on the north side. On the oppo-
site side were more comfortable rooms for
light offenders and the debtor class.
When the old jail was vacated, after
attempts to convert it into an insane asy-
lum failed, it became the Washington In
Urinary, and i'll the early part of the war
1t was used as Il hospital. The first mill
tary patients conveyed to the hospital
were the wounded of the Massachusetts
regiment, who were attacked on Pratt
street, in Baltimore April 19, 1861, en-
route for the defense of the Capital.
The Infirmary was burned i'll 1861
The blue jug was the jail for the Dis
trict for over 80 years, when. in 1869, the
new Jail was buil1 on the Eastern Branch.
In 1920, the 22d day of August, the
I'LL
southern part Of judiciary Square was
laid with Masonic ceremonies.
The day preceding the laying Of the
cornerstone the Mayor. Samuel \. Small
wood, issued an announcement to his
"feilOw-citizens," which, read today,
sounds somewhat unique. Among much
else he said there ''iS to be the seat of
legislation and of the administration of
justice for this Metropolis when it viii
have reached its destined populousness,
and is therefore destined to be erected on
a scale worthy of the uses for which it is
intended.
1T is all to be constructed with a view
to desirability which will extend beyond
the age of any Of the living.
I'VE therefore shall never witness the
recurrence of such an event as the laying
of the cornerstone of this fabricl
In behalf of the Commissioners ap-
pointed to erect this Hall. | therefore in
Sitt you 10 NJtIt-SS Il 50
in its occurrence that it will be an era
in our history and withal so interesting
to all who take an interest in the welfare
of the city founded by the departed Wash
ington.
THE laying of the cornerstone will
take place precisely at 10 o'clock a. m,
and all who do not walk in the procession
Will be excluded from entering the in
closure of the ground, except ladies. for
whom accommodations will be provided "
This might strike one as being Ii novel
way of filling the ranks Of procession,
but it seems to have fulfilled its mission,
for il is chronicled that notwithstanding
the great heat of the day the procession
Of Masons and other citizens was much
larger than was expected.
The ceremony was commenced by
prayer by the Rev. Mr.. Hawley. after
which an address was made by William
Hewitt. Esq, the Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.
The cornerstone was laid with all the
form of Masonry, and then the discharge
of artillery, which was followed by an
Grafton by John Law, ESD, from which
we quote the following:
The building will be of equal magni-
tude with the Capitol. and its design not
unworthy to stand in view of it.
Let us select for our public officers
men distinguished by integrity and ca
pacity in order that affairs may be so
conducted that we shall never have reason
to be ashamed of the interior any more
than the exterior of our City Hail."
In the IHtciiigencer we ran upon this
advertisement:
AS it may he gratifying to some of
our citizens to see the plate designed to
be placed in the new City Hall, we are
Informed it is left at Tyler's Lottery Of
flee, near Davis Hotel, where it may be
seen during this day. 1t is handsome
plate of silver. hearing this inscription:
"'ClTY HALL.
This cornerstone of the City Hall,
designed by George Hadfield, architect,