Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-09
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

The workhouse of the District nifty
years ago was not substantial estab-
lishment and an escape
Insecure from it was by no
means unusual. The
A"o"e' community. however.
sat up and took notice when thirteen
prisoners took French leave at one time.
as told about in the following paragraph
from The Star of August 9. 1853:
THE running away of one or two
prisoners from the workhouse is no UNI
common occurrence and never creates
surprise. ,inasmuch as there are few
guards over the prisoners who are at
work in a local field. which offers good
chances to escape But the escape of
thirteen prisoners at night from the work
house. might without explanation lead to
the suspicion Of neglect of duty. At the
time of their escape there were eighty
four prisoners in the workhouse. and
desperate gang they were. The Balti-
more rowdies were we'll represented and
two desperadoes of the SUBURBAN gangs
Of this city were there. The prisons con-
sist of wooden sheds, temporarily con-
structed for use until the new building
is completed; and these being insumcient.
the hen coon was brought into requisition.
The intendant's house. as well as the
gardeners and other AIDS. are all as
tant from the shed: so there was no prob
ability of arousing them by the noise
made in attempting to escape. The ma
terial OF which the buildings are con-
structed could be forced without even
arousing the prisoners in adjoining
rooms: so no blame can be attached to
any Of the attendants"
There was much speculation throughout
this country half a century ago regarding
the future disposition of the
Mount remains of George Washing
u ton. when the estate at
Mount Vernon should be
transferred to the association of patriotic
women. In The Star Of August 3. 1853 is
an editorial on this subject as follows:
1.-The noxthern press are busy in cir
culating a surmise that Mr.. John A.
Washington designs. ere conveying
Mount Vernon in fee to the Ladies' AS
ISOLATION (when the latter shall have paid
for 1t is as per contracD. to remove from
Country. The idea Of such Yankee
trick is worthy of its paternity. Those
who know John a. Washington. Esquire.
are of course well aware that it is not
vantage of any flaw in the contract OF
sale which would legally entitle him to
romove the remains from Mount Vernon.
after having sold the place for a public
purpose. those who do not know him per-
sonally may rest assured that there Will
not be a single honest man left in all the
nation
eff ever a gentleman was cursed with
good fortune that man was this same
John A. Washington in his inheritance OF
h,.fn n n
come to speak of and yet subjects him
upright diffident and sensitive man as he
is-to more violent. systematic abuse and
vilification from the sensation press than
was ever before bestowed on private
gentleman. The public seem to feel that
! they have a right. not only to the free
use, but also the uncontrolled abuse, OF
his property"
Half a century ago Justice Gull was the
chief local terror of evil doors. and &C.
cording to months record
Evil which was found sum-
r married. in The Star OF
August 4. 1853. he was given
plenty OF work by the careless citizens OF
| the capital The Stars resume OF his
July work reads in part as follows. there
being much more Of the same kind:
in the streets. was fined 81 SO. jeremiah
Murphy was found by the officers. OPP
pressed with too much whisky and fined
$3.50. Thomas Taylor was caught violat-
ing the ordinance respecting the discharge
of fireworks in the street and fined 81 .5S.
George Wood, for being inebriated and
.hollering' about the streets. was fined
1878. VIM. Tracy. caught with bricks in
his hat, was fined 1874. Mrs. Mitchell
partook of the Juice OF the corn and be-
| haved badly: she was fined 1894. and In
default OF the tin went over to stop with
Queen thirty days. Richard Daugherty
sold strong liquors in utter contempt OF
the statute made and provided. and was
let off by forking over $21.15. VIM. De
Neal got disorderly and behaved badly
and was fined 81 "a for II. John Hurley
lost his wife and sat on the steps bewail-
weeds in the corporation garden. Lewis
Browning came out Of whisky mill walk
ing sideways. and was fined 1894. John
Slatterly. for ungentlemanly department.
was fined 1874. George Roberts sailed In
| the same ship with Slatterly. and was
also fined 1914. Mrs. Moriarity put some
thing strong in her evening beverage
which caused that good lady to forget her
station; she went In for sixty days visit
| to friend Queen. Total amount Of fines
for the month. sl99.90. pretty good
month work.
-
Although the secession movement was
less than three years away, it was difficult
for those who believed in
Southern the Union to realize the
r.. imminence OF the great is
sue confronting the coun-
try. In The Star of August 5, 1883. is a
paragraph on this subject:
Mr.. VIM. L. Yancey, in a late speech
| upon his proposed Southern League. de-
livered in Montgomery, Ala. Indignantly
denies that 1t aims at the eventual confir-
| nation of a dissolution OF the United
States. claiming for it at the same time
the purpose Of the mere conservation of
the constitutional rights of the south in
the Union. Were this 80. Mr.. Yancey
would soon number among his brother
leaders threefourths of all the voters of
the slave-holding states; whereas it is
utterly impossible that the league should
ever come to number one in hundred o.
them Notwithstanding the denOuement OF