The Sunday globe., 1901-05-05
The Scandals and Mismanagement Of
the WOrkhOuse and AlmshOuse.
HENlING PRISONERS LIKE CATTLE
A Crying Demand for Reform In tho Interest Of
Humanity Of These Institutions The Com.
mISsOners Solely Responsible e-Rsyela-
lions Of Tho StOutenbugh Regime,
All Kinds oi Scandals on Tap.

President William Mckinley has been
noted on the reverse side of his luck
medal as being most unfortunate in his
app 'intments. While Governor Of Ohio
the few appointments he had to make
caused him no end of trouble, and gave
much scandal TO his party and State.
His superintendent OF shops and factories,
w Z Mcdonald, had over one hundred
counts to indictments found against him
Tor stealing and embezzling the State
funds. The Adjuiant General, Colonel
PocJck was forced to resign because OF
a scandal while on official duty with the
Governor in Chicago. The supehnten
dents of several Of the State Asylums,
including the Deaf and Dumb Institute,
were also compelled TO resign tccluse Of
mismanagement and grayer charges.
The PenetentAry located at the Capital
Of the State was the ho,bed Of scandal
and nal administration; children were
born TO female prisoners, who accused
the warden, c. G. James, Of being the
father; the deputy warders fought each
other to a finish on the pulpit platform of
the chapel during Sunday morning ser
vice, and in the presence Of more than
two thousand excited convicts; in fact
the whole State from its centre to its cir
cumferen was officially demomlized
The prediction of the Governors polii-
cal enemies that on attaining the Presi-
dency the Nation at large would parake
Of this corrupt and dcmomlzed Ohio ad-
minisiration Of affairs, was no merely
malicious partisan one, but was prcdicyt.d
on the conviction forced upon the oh.
servant at The Ego rs you please man.
ner in which Ohio was run for four years
by Jimmy Boyle, the Englshman,
who was the de facto Governor while
Mr. Mckinley wore his bushing honors
only as the de iure Chief Magistrate Of
the State. Mr.. Boyle was the Cover.
nor's private secretary, and rs the Gov
ernor was almost continuously out Of The
State working up his Presidential loom,
Jimmy "ran the machine for which
service he has been rewarded as Consul
General to bis native Liverpool.
The Sunday Globe has not space to
spare, at present for even a summary Of
the misieasance and maleieasance in Of
fee Of the Rathbone's ct al, Of the Ma
tional Administration. Wherever the flag
flies, in Cuba, Porto Rico and the Phiip-
pines there also, in full blossom, is the
official scandal and peculatiou. Hence,
il is no surprise to the writer TO find, that
here in the Nations Capital, right under
the presidential proboscis official c5rrup-
tion and scandal are rampant. In this
initatory article on the Washington Aims
and Workhouse, the Sunday Globe will
but merely skim the surface Of things
and will wait reasonable time-say one
week-.o give the President and the Dis
trict Commissioners chance to clean the
Augean Stables out on the Eastern
Branch
1t is almost incredible that the state Of
affairs weare called upon to narrate could
exist without exposure by the press OF
the city, but it is no ung3nerous inference
to account for this silence or acqriescence
In Intendant Stoutenburgh' mismanag-
ment of the Almshouse by the supposi-
tion that the mission Of the Washington
daily newspapers is eulogy and not criti.
cism.
Here Is man who is as absolute as
the Gar Of all the Russils, over the un-
fortunate and the erring committed to
his care, and who misuses his position in
pross and fagrant manner without either
reprimand from the District Commission
ers. or ventilation and reprooi from the
press. The anomaly of combining a
prison and poor house under the one
management in the Capital ofthe Nation,
must strike the penologist as well as the
sociologist with amaZement, nevertheless,
such dual form OF charity and punitive
administration exists, but only in Wash.
ington, the writer is pleased to state, and
under the autocratic management Of a
very ordinary, common place individual
named W. II. Stoutenburgh.
The Sunday Globe has no quarrel with
intendant Stoutenburg, he is but working
''graft"-to use the expressive language
OF the workhouse-kindly and thought.
fully provided for him by the District
Commissioners. But the Sunday Globe
must nevertheless, hold the tool as well
as the principals to account before the
public for the indecencies, extravagance,
and maladminstration prevailing in these
public institutions.
Surely the p isOn refJrmcr has never
visited the Washington Workhouse and
inspected the quarters, where more like
pigs than human beings the inmates are
huddled together in foul smelling and i'll.
ventilated pig stys miscaled cells. I'm.
agine from twelve to tw-nty men in an
ordinary sized room, sleeping in hunks
one above the other, in tiers Of half a
dozen, almost reaching to the ceiling
The colored prisoners on the upper
floors live in even worse atmosphere
and the guards who have to unlock them
mornings have been frequently overcome
with the foul, nauseatng and overpow.
erng stencil which permeates the CORR.
dors. From three TO four hundred males
and from fifty 10 one hundred females arc
the average numbers confined in the male
and female buildings respectively.
Male guards are utilized to overawo and
suppress the beligerent female prisoners
and against all the clnons OF propriety
and decency these female prisoners arc
locked up OF nights and unlocked morn
ings by male guards The obscenity and
profanity Of the degraded among the