Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-19

The Washington Work House, owned ny
a gentl eman named Stoutenberg, attracted
some notice from the SUNDAY GLOBE In It's
early and callow days when it supposed
that an expose Of the rottenness of that in
stitution would result in the dismissal Of
the aforesaid Stoutenberg The GLOBE
/ soon ascertained that to remove Stouteu-
berg it required as preliminary the revo-
lutionizing of the National Govern
ment and the decapitation of the
District Commissioners. Satisfied that
this was too lagre an undertaking
for a Sunday newspaper, we dropped
Stoutenberg like a hot coal, having blis-
tered our fingers in the contact And
Stoutenberg grinned and made merry at
our expense while the small fraction of the
public which religiOusly believe that even
a Sunday newspaper can perform miracles
wagged its head and significantly pointed
to our silence as undisputed evidence that
we had been bought by Stoutenberg
Stoutenberg COULD have bought as cheap
enough after we had rammed our head
against his impregnable defenses, but
Stoutenberg knew that it wasn't worth any
outlay on his part In other words the
GLOBE could not dethrone him as czar of
the work house without marching frst over
the 6gurative dead bodies of Congressman.
Senators and District Commissioners So
Stoutenberg, monarch of all he surveys"
laughs to scorn the puny efforts of a news
paper published once every week to either
injure him or secure his removal from
Office by any exposition Of rottenness at the
work house. Stoutenberg stood the siege
of a daily newspaper, the Times for
months and came out on top with beauti-
full coat Of whitewash Hence that which
follows in this article is not expected to
phase a hair on Stoutenberg's head, but to
illustrate as il were that the intendant Of
the aims house any more than the leopard,
does not change his spots.
There are rules and regulations for the
government of the workhouse, as there is
for the Jail, and the other District institu-
tiOns. These printed rules and regulations
are supposed to be framed aud hung up
where inmates can read and learn what is
expected from them in the matter of con-
duct and behavior. Stoutenburg has them
conspicuously framed and hung up in the
workhouse, but by a curious oversight he has
neglected and refuses to hang them up in
the aims or poorhouse, of which he is also
the geueralissimo or whole thing When
produce these rules and regulations Stout
enburg strikes an attitude and replies
Il AM the rules and regulations--wha do
you want TO know7"
"I want to know" exclaims the inmate,
why there is no United States mail box
here where we can deposit the letters we
are permitted to write"
Throw them on the table and they will
be mailed when we are ready TO mail
them, retorts Stoutenburg.
The lettersare mailed if the superscrip ption
on the envelope is not suspicious. For in
stance letter addressed Publisher SUN.
DAY GLOBE" is switched off and Uncle
Sam is in two cents and never has the
trouble of carrying or delivering it. Said
an inmate yesterday;
Our letters are thrown on a table and the
attendants scrutinize and examine them
They are left over night under care Of an
inmate, who takes the attendants place
while the latter goes up stairs to bed
This pauper can destroy them or not, as he
pleases.
Representations made to the post-ofice
authorities brought out a secret service rep |
resentative to the aims house, who investi
gated matters He told us that he would
secure a mail box for the inmates, but
guess Stoutenberg dissuaded him from
doing so" and the pauper laughed
Said another inmate:
'"rhe beds and the surroundings of this
place are clean, wholesome and healthy, but
good Lord, the grub we are compelled to
live on would turn the stomach of Fill
pino Rotten 6sh twice a week and the
worst offals of meat that can be procured
all cooked in such manner that ii even
they were originally sound and good in the
raw state they are utterly unfit to be
eaten"
Chimed in another inmate:
We'll that's not the cooks fault. He is
compelled to cook for four OF FIVE hundred
people with the assistance Of one or two in
mates abebodied enough to do a little
work. Stoutenberg has man here who
delights in irritating, abusing and making
our lives miserable"
with the exception of this attendant,
the others are humane and decent men,"
Clipped in an old weazened faced pauper
with the suspicion of a foreign accent.
This Objectionable attendant is either
crazy or he hits the pipe. He delights in
bothering and ill-treating us old men," as
sented a venerable looking old man who |
was feebly leaning on a stout cane
Complaints to Sioutenberg elicit the |
stereotyped reioinder:
you can leave If you don't like the |
treatment"
In fact the intendaut is never appealed to |
any more for any redress Of either ill.treat- /
ment or an improvement in the food, which |
all united in stating was unfit for old men |
TO eat
And the women are as bad of, " con- |
cluded our informant
The GLOBE simply reprodnces these COM
plants as mere filling for its columns, wen |
aware Of the fact that nc redress will be |
forthcoming. But in the matter Of the IN
mates letters the Postmaster General |
should remember that paupers are
NOT criminals and that neither Stout.
enberg nor his attendants have any |
business to tamper with their letters. A
mail box ought to be placed within the
building for the convenience Of the in.
mates and their letters held sacred Poverty
is not legally crime and the new Post
master General will not treat il as such. il
is TO be hoped, even il he displeases or dis
freaaaa the great Cfonfauharrr