Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-12
PARTII.
THIRrY- -SEvENrH PAPER.

lHlkI1- 1-S1ENENlh IAfbk
The abolition Of the Office of prison chap
lain was a mania with Owen Stackhouse,
the assistant deputy warden. In this he
had some sympathetic assistance he would
not otherwise have, but for the example
set by the two chaplains, mentioned in the
preceding paper, and the frivolous and
hypocritical character of their successor
Holy Joel" But Stackhouse's objection
to prison chaplains did not lie in their short
comings either as men or preachers, but in
''the demoralizing effect on prison discip-
line Of chapel services, hymns and prayersW
He believed in none Of these things him
self and per consequences anybody else
who did was "a sneak and an unadulterated
hypocrite" Now this was the official who
was actually charged with the punitive dis
cipline of the prison under Warden James
Stackhouse, was, as ] may have previously
stated, man of herculean build, being SIX
feet four or Ave inches in height and tip
ping the beam at over two hundred and
fifty pounds dead weight. He was as coarse
and brutal in temperament and act as he
was gigantic in stature. His signature
(the only penmanship he knew was pre-
cisely similar to the receipt for ones laun-
dry given by John Chinaman and Just as
The Deputy Warden, George W. Play
ford, was a wiry, active little fellow, full Of
G. A. r. literature and harmless idiosyncra-
sizes. Neither man had the slightest quail
fcation for the position Of prison officer and
it appears they instinctively recognized this
deficiency in each other From the hour
Of their appointment to the forced resigna-
tion of Deputy Warden Playford these two
disciplinary officers kept the prison in
state of insubordinate agitation, as each
man had faction both among the guards
and prisoners StaCkhouse had a shade the
best of the division of public sentiment
within the walls) because Warden James
and Miss McMasters THE lady stenographer
--or rather typewriter) took sides with him
and humliated and sat down (the lady
stood upD on Playford whenever oppor-
tunity offered. The Stackhouse faction
among the guards sent Playford prisoner
adherents to the cellar to be padded. This
was really Playford's duty, but he was both
too humane and person non grata with
lanes to be entrusted with the paddle
Hence Stackhouse welded the paddle and
literally made the fur hy from the nude
persona of the hapless convicts.
Naturally the best bred and the more re-
specially raised prisoners were the cellar
victims, because all of this class, without
exception, favored Deputy Playford as
against his brutal assistant and the
capricious James.
When the warden was absent from the
prison, either on a protracted jamboree,
business or pleasure, which sometimes ex-
tended for weeks, his deputy, Playford, ac-
cording to law, was supposed to be in
charge of the prison, with headquarters in
hOu
Warden lanes He turned the prison over
to Miss McMasters and Stackhouse. Their
orders went not Playford's Miss Nc
Masters had authority to sign the warden's
name in his absence, and she did so, to any
necessary documents 1t used to be a
ridiculous sight to the 'trusty" prisoners
detailed at the front Office to see Playford
occupying the warden's chair and trying TO
play warden and assert his dignityas such
The McMasters woman Ia slim, delicate
Della Of twenty-eight OF thirty summers)
simply ignored him, and as she had the de-
tails we'll in hand of conducting the prison,
she never found il necessary to address
poor Playford a single word. She COM
municated with Stackhouse alone, as his
coarse brutality seemed to chime in or
harmonze more with her feelings and ideas
Of running a penitentiary.
There were daily fights and quarrels when
lanes was present in person between Stack
house aud Playford and there we're hourly
scraps when James was absent between
these two officials. Playford was despised
by James, Stackhouse, McMasters and fair
per centage of the guards and the toughs
among the prisoners The combine" were
simply hated by Playford, the better-be-
haved among the prisoners and the more
humane among the guards.
Playford insisted on explaining his griev-
ances, his wrongs and his rights to Nun
shower and myself at the kitchen, and in
deed TO the better class of prisoners. Per
force we made some observation or COM
ment on these matters, not dreaming, at
FIRST, that he would repeat them to James or
to oStackhouse-McMaste etc. But we we're
soon made aware of this fact by some Of
the "trusty" prisoners, who used to over
hear the wordy battles in the front Office.
We then became more circumspect and
rarely ventured either opinion or advice to
Playford, knowing that if we did so they
would reach the ears of James, Stackhouse
and McMasters. But the damage was done
and when by an adroit movement / forced
Stackhouse to take his meals outside the
prison, instead of dining with Munshower
and myself where his coarse and filthy re-
marks at table not only deprived me of ap-
petite, butiuexpressibly shocked my moral
nature, the breach was widened and we
we're eugulfed with the Playford craft and
only escaped--or rather Munshower-dis-
missal by the most energetic action on the
part Of outside friends
The two years pickering and quarrels Of
the three (or rather four counting Nc
Master's) head officers Of the prison, re-
suited in the turn down Of Playford by the
Board of Managers, who elected his sue
cessor bradford Dawson) for the second
term Of Governor McKinley's administra-
ton. The last Sunday at chapel service Of
the deputy warden 10 a memorable one in
the Ohio penitenuary. As Holy Joe" was
concluding the services, Playford obtained
his permission 20 address the prisoners no
unusual thing, as WILDE seen further along.
As the deputy stepped forward on the plat