The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-19
AIR THEIR TROUBLE
BOARD OF CORRECTIONS AND
CHARITIES INVESTIGATE
WORKHOUSE
MDoNALD IS A HARD MASTER
superintendent, Clerk and Guards
Tell Stories Which show Lack
of Harmony at the
Institution.

The troubles at the workhouse were
freely aired yesterday before a majority
of the bard of corrections and charities
which 1net at that ins1itation in the af-
ternoon and remained in session for four
hours listening to the testimony of the
superintendent, clerk and the guards
10 startling disclosures were made.
The board simply succeeded in ascertain
ing that bad blood has been engendered
at the woIkhouse between certain Off
Gals. Supt. Mcdonald has no use for
J. w. Hoban, the clerk and quartermas-
ter. Mr.. Hoban says Mcdonald treats
him like a dog, and that he permits Mrs
Mcdonald to have too much to say
around the workhouse.
The gardner declared that Supt. Nc
Dcraid swcre at him in the presence of
prisoners and one of the guards told the
hoard that in his opinion Quartermaster
Hoban was too eXcitable to hold such a
position.
One prisoner named Leonard, who es-
capped from the Workhouse last summer.
but was recaptured and brought back to
serve an extra four months, told of how
Quartermaster Hoban struck at him on
his being brought back to the work
Rouse
After listening to all the stories the
heard adjourned without arriving at any
decision except that things were in bad
shape at the institution in the matter
of discipline, and that a special meeting
would be called sometime later to as
simulate and take action on the evidence
submitted.
1t was at first thought advisable to
grant all parties interested in the mat
ter a private hearing, as it was thought
that the matter could be got at better in
that way, but after calling in succession
Supt Mcdonald, Clerk Hoban, Driver
Parker, and j. p Mccarthy, guard,
the board changed its mind! and opened
the doors to the newspaper men who
were permitted to be present during the
latter part Of the hearing.
Supt Mcdonald was questioned first,
and denied that there was any lack of
discipline at the institution, and gave
his reasons for discharging Guards Bran
don and Blake, and for suspending en-
gineer Tansey, who had threatened to
shoot Driver Parker, but when the mat
ter had been sifted it was found that no
such threat had been made Supt. Nc
Donald criticised Clerk Hoban, and init
mated that he did not want him there.
although he had no specific charges to
make against him.
Then came Hoban's turn He claimed
that the only reason Mcdonald had for
wishing him away. was because he had
incurred the displeasure of the superin-
tendent's wife, for reporting after one
Of his visits to the laundry about a fight
that had occurred there between two of
the female prisoners. and during the
melee had turned the laundry upside
down From that time Mrs Mcdonald
has made it unpleasant for him, and he
Was requested to relinquish the Keys of
the laundry and keep out Of there
Then came the trouble of Helen Will
son, the colored prisoner who was placed
In solitary confinement for thirteen days
and fed on bread and water by order of
Mrs. Mcdonald. The Wilson woman sent
word to Hoban that she was sick and
wanted a mattress to lie on, which Hobar
furnished but when Supt Mcdonald
found it out he swore at Hoban and took
the mattress from the CELL Hoban re-
counted many other grievances which he
had since the advent of Supt. Mcdonald