Evening star., 1911-01-12
Occoquan Workhouse Hurts
Property, Says Howe Totten.
ASKS DAMAGES OF DISTRICT
Declares. in Bill Filed Today, He Is
Forced to Abandon Home.
CONVICTS MAKE IT UNSAFE
Saws Prison Is Called Paradise, and
Severely Criticises the
Honor System.


at Occoquan is conducted in a lax and in
efficient manner, that prisoners escape
every week. making the neighborhood
unsafe, Howe Totten of this city, who
owns country home adjoining the work
house tract, today filed suit against the
District of Columbia for $4,000 damages,
alleging that because of the establish
ment of the workhouse at Occoquan lie
has been compelled to abandon his home.
Mr.. Totten is represented in the suit
by Attorneys Charles l.. Frailey and A.
S. Worthington
There is added interest in the suit
brought by Mr.. Totten because of the
fight which the board of regents Of Mount
Vernon Is making at present against the
location Of the District reformatory OH a
| tract not far from the workhouse and in
the immediate nelghborhod of the old
estate Of George Washington.
Mr.. Totten claims that he has been
forced to move because the country is no
longer safe for the members of his fam
lily.
Workhouse Called a Paradise.
"A number of the officials of the Dis.
trict Of Columbia made an inspection OF
the new District workhouse at Occoquan
several weeks ago." Mr.. Totten said today.
They brought back fiowery report OF
conditions there. The location was called
paradise. an ideal summer resort. So
pleasant, i'm fact, is the wOrkhouse and
lONQ N tUh
become rampant in the District, 50 great
would be the desire to secure free board
at Occoquan.
But there is another side to this pic
ture. tragic side, which the readers OF
that report were not shown. The little
village OF Lorton, which is the railroad
station for the workhouse, lies in a beau
tiful rolling and we'll wooded country.
Land is not expensive there. and q num-
Der OF citizens Of Washington have in the
built homes and settled, with the inten-
tion OF remaining, and have spent large
sums of money in improving, planting
and fertilizing their lands
onsr0fsebUse famiiies has pulled up stakes,
shut up its house and departed, all
since the advent of the workhouse, and
their places are for sale without purchas-
man who voluntarily offered his land for
the establishment of a penal institution in
the netghborhood Of his home.
AT first some of the farmers and other
inha bitants of the neighborhood thought
that this institution would be beneficial to
them and their holdings, but they have
slowly and sadly changed their minds. At
least three prospective sales of farms in
that section have been defeated because
Of the location of the workhouse. That
there will never be another sale of land
there in that section to an outsider Is as
apparent as the stripes Of the convicts'
garb. The land is dead as desert, as
far as any future development is con-
cerned.
And what have been the other effects
OF this institution upon the people and
the land? A few unskilled mechanics
from the neighborhood have been en-
ployed as guards: and stores and truck
raisers have sold a small quantity of
material to the workhouse officials But
when at the end of year or two a fair
start shall have been made, how will the
neighbors profit from an institution hous-
ing five hundred idle, able-bodied men?
1T Is proposed to haul from washing
ton all the fertilizer which is needed for
use on the fields owned by the work
house, and to send back in the empty
barges broken stone for use in the Dis
trict streets and roads. The conyicts best
suited to the purpose will raise quantities
of vegetables and other produce. The
quarry on the tract will be worked by
the convicts: the stone broken taken out
The storekeepers of the neighborhood will
make no profit, as there will be establish
ed. undoubtedly. commissary at the
workhouse.
Meanwhile carloads upon carloads OF
material and supplies of all sorts are be-
ing hauled over the county roads from
and heavy traf11c will cut the roads to
pieces in few months. Yet there has
been no work done by the convicts to re-
pair the damage.
Criticises Honor System.
quite the rlost serious feature of the
system in vogue at the workhouse is the
so-called 'honor system. putting the con-
victs on their parole. or something sim
! liar. and sending them over the public
roads. without any sort of q guard o,
keeper in pairs and in large squads
1T would be misnomer to say that
! the convicts escape. but they stay away
| in large numbers
1T is not safe for woman or child
! TO travel unattended, and even the men
go armed. The striped clothes Of th,
| convicts have been abandoned and the
/ convicts clothed in uniform and cap OF
/ cadet blue. The people are WONDERING
/ how soon the convicts will be given
muskets and ammunition. mounted or
| cavalry horses and turned loose upon the
! county roads in companies
The institution and its plan have a
good deal TO commend them when kept
within proper boundaries But it does
seem that the quality of mercy ia 9
! little strained when the welfare OF 4O0
/ wllful and convicted malefactors is con.
sidered Of greater Importance than the
property, happiness and safety OF a
| greater number Of peaceful people who's,
names are not known in the crimina
| courts.
1t also seems an absurdity to brin,
these convicts TO the wOrkhouse in rags
and handouts and then dress them in
uniforms OF cadet blue aid sehd them
out without guards"
President Taft today promised the re-
! gents Of the Mount Vernon Ladies' AS
| sociation that he would confer with the
| District Commissioners regarding the es.
| tablishment of workhouse at Belvoir
| Va three miles west of the historic
| place.
/ The regents. who were introduced by
| Representative Carlin. told the Presiden
| that the penal institution and It's prisoner.
would be a menace TO Mount Vernon anC
| a constant source of danger. nasmuci
| as escaped convicts might make depreda
tions on the property.
They urged that influence be brought Il
bear on the Commissioners that woult
cause them to change their plans ant
select another site for the workhouse.
4 Mr.. Taft said he would give direct at
tention to the matter Immediately. Th,
regents who called were Miss Comegys o
Delaware. Mrs. Eugene Van Rensselaer,
West Virginia: Mrs. Henry w. Rogers
Maryland: Mrs. ]. ]. Pringle, South Caro-