Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-17
WITH NO RELIEF IN SIGHT
Not Enough Mattresses and Suits to
Go Around.
WHITE PLAGUE IS THERE, TOO
Prisoner Is Ill and Health Of Other
Inmates
Of the Trouble.

Not only is the Jail overcrowded, but
the District workhouse Is filled beyond
it's present available capacity. The con-
ditions at the latter institution became
known this morning through a report
made to Judge A. R. Mullowny Of the
Police Court by L. F. Zinkhan, superin-
tendent of the Washington Asylum.
To the inadequate accommodations Of
the local Jail the present oVercrowding of
the worl1house Is declared to be due, as
the overflow from the jail Is sent there.
A remedy of jail conditions, it is con-
tended. will largely remedy the trouble
at the workhouse.
Superintendent Zinkhan explained to-
day that the reopening Of the south wing
of the workhouse, which has been closed
for some time for repairs. will relieve pres
ent conditions. but that any increase over
the present number after that will cause
another congestion. Rush work is being
done to get the south wing open within
a few days.
On account Of the congestion at the
workhouse Superintendent Zinkhan this
morning requested Judge Mullowny Of
the Police Court to release Robert Alston
a prisoner suffering from tuberculosis.
Dangerous to Others
1T is dangerous to other prisoners to
have this man kept there any longer"
Supt. Zinkham told Judge MullownN
The justice ordered that the remainder
Of the sentence be suspended. The pris-
oner will be taken to the tuberculosis
hospital for treatment there.
In his request Supt. Zinkham pointed
mi 20 p{ ",
the Washington Asylum for the care and
treatment of consumptives."
The congestion in the workhouse. it is
declared by the officials Of the courts and
of the institution. Is largely due to the
sending to 1t of prisoners that normally
would be committed to the jail. When
the crowding among the prisoners at the
jail reached its climax several weeks ago,
Police Court judges were notified that
only limited number of prisoners could
be received at the Jail each day.
In accordance with this Judge kin1ball
of the Police Court issued orders that
prisoners convicted of jail offenses be
sent to the workhouse unless the SEN
tence was over six months. Usually all
prisoners from the United States branch
of the court are sent to jail. but under
the new order the large majority of them
were committed to the WOrkhouse. AS
many of the sentences were from four to
prisoners In the workhouse became large.
Soon Became Crowded.
All available space in the several build
ings used for the workhouse has been
used to accommodate the population Of
prisoners. Last week the number Of in
mates became SO large that more mat
tresses were needed. Every woman in
the jail and workhouse who could use
needle was put to work sewing cloth to-
gether to make mattresses and these were
stuffed with straw. These extra mat
tresses have been used in corridors and
other vacant places where there was six
feet of room.
And the number of prisoners is SO large.
It is stated. that suits cannot be provided
for ALL This result, 1t is explained.
threatens to make the institution insani-
tary. Usually when a prisoner is COM
mitted to the institution he is given
bath and his old clothes are taken from
him He is then provided with a