Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-09

The Municipal Lodging House. No 3I7
Twelfth street northwest, Captain l.. y.
Cutler, superintendent needs the attention
Of the District Commissioners if one half
the stories reaching this Office are true con
cerning its management The adjoining
police station, too, is putting up growl con-
cerning II and the trouble caused by the
closing Of the lodging house every night at
10 D. m. The weary Willies and honest
men out of employment seeking a nights
lodging from the city very rarely show up
before 10 p. m, and the station house is
forced to provide shelter for them as the
almost empty Municipal Lodging House is
closed at that hour
It is the practice at present of the super
iutendeut to put his dodgers to saving
wood between meals, which is all very
right and proper But after the meals he
compels them to remain in the yard and
does not admit the half frozen creatures to
the house until bed time
In the morning the lodger is put to saw
ing wood until dinner and after dinner until
evening. He then remains in the shed or
yard until admitted to go TO bed notwith
standing that there is a room in the house
provided and set apart for these homeless
poor fellows where they can remain during
the evening. That is to say they could If
Captain Cutler would permit, them but the
captain. who has had this very soft snap OF
house and board free, together with a fat
salary, does not want the annoyance of the
dodgers in the room, so he charitably keeps
them out in the cold rain OF shine until
| bed time.
These complaints have been brought to
the attention of the GLOBE by responsible
citizens familiar with the facts and also the
/ growls put up by the police who have 20 care
for the dodgers at the station house when
the Municipal Lodging House is designed
for that purpose.
During the eoldest days Of the past win
ter eye witnesses informed us that these
! shivering and thinly-ciad poor wanderers
in search of work or stranded here by ad-
verse circumstances we're compelled to sit
or stand and shiver outside in the cold after
their days work, and denied the warmth
and shelter Of the house until after p. m,
because their occupancy Of the room set
apart for them would mar or disturb the
enjoyment of the superintendent.
It is passing strange that familiarity with
physical suffering and poverty in its worst
form makes callous the heart instead Of
mellowing and softening that organ for
appeals for sympathy and aid to their fell
low men.
At all events this public charity of Mu-
nicipal Lodging House ought to be so CON
Quoted that it will afford the temporary
refuge designed for the homeless and the
stranded wayfarer in the Capital city
From a number of communications re
ceived the following is selected, as it is
written by a former lodger of the place to
friend who furnished it to the GLOBE;
On entering one is struck by the appear
auce and voice OF the Superintendent, a
hard hearted cruel and diamond bedecked
Individual After recording your name he
turns you over to a man by the name Of
Morton, who takes you to a wood yard and
gives you lot of heavy and wet wood to
saw and split, and that with dull tools. No
matter how faint one may be from lack of
food and loss of sleep in consequence Of
travelling many miles practically without
either-yes, with an empty stomach-this
fellow, who calls himself a Christian, spurs
you on to the plishment of a task great
enough for a we'll fed man in the pink of
condition.
For this he receives his supper, which
consists of black coffee without milk, soup
not any better than pot liquor and small
piece Of stale bread all told, abont enough
10 satisfy a child's appetite. No matter
how cold the weather, all men must wait in
the yard, as he will not permit any one to
come inside Of the house until after 9
o'clock. Even the sick sent there by the
charities are kept in this iceberg Of yard
and fare no better than the rest.
Sick and we'll all are put to bed under one
cotton blanket each and the night that the
author of this letter was compelled to take
advantage of the cold sleeping room the
mems breaths actually froze on the window
pane.
Alta quarter past FIVE O'Clock the follow
ing morning we were again turned out into
the cold yard some OF the men as we'll as my
self we're very thinly clad. until o'clock,
when we were called into breakfast, which
was the very same bill Of fare that we had
the night before for supper Before we
had hardly finished chewing our last mouth
ful we were ordered to git out" 1t would
be surprise for anyone 10 be caught going
back to such a place the second tune to he
abused by such men as are IN charge.
Thomas II. Mcfarland, the steward of the
| Dewey Hotel, was formerly an employe Of
the Municipal Lodging House, and the
! Times, instead Of interviewing Captain Cut
Ter, the superintendent, should send one of
its young men to him for unbiased infOr-
nation.
Captain Cutler receives a salary Of 81. 200
| per anuuni. He occupies, with his wife,
the upper AoOr of the lodging house, which
accounts for the fact that the poor devils,
/ sick and well, seeking municipal charity are
compelled to shiver in the cold yard.