New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-23

/ tTlCt OF lOluIlUld JAN, AZ ""'N"
gists are serving various terms OF I'M
prisonment for picketing the White
House, and every facility was given
me to talk with the prisoners, examine
the cells, eat the food the prisoners
cat and to 60 carefully over the kitchen
where it is cooked
A Jail is neither a fashionable hotel
nor a country house, and an inmate
cannot reasonably expect to find there
all the comforts of home. But as lails
90. this one is far above the average
in cleanliness, in airiness, in santa
ton and in light. both natural and ar
tificial. saw and talked. without in
terruption, with Miss Alice Paul, chair
man of the National Woman's party;
Miss Lucy Burns. the most militant,
probably, Of all the members of that
party, and with Miss Rose Winslow.
Miss Burns was lying on a cot in
one of the ordinary cells Of the wom-
ems prison.
Cells Well Equipped
All of the cells are steel constructed,
with whitewashed walls. Artificial
light in each cell Is supplied by an in
candescent lamp over the door. At the
rear of each cell is a white enamelled
toilet Of the same sort that one finds
in a thoroughly up-to-date bathroom
which is done in white enamel.
When Miss Burns was telling me IN
police court when she was sentenced
/ to six months Imprisonment, a week
ago Wednesday, about the discomforts
! of the District Jail, she told me that
/ there were yermin on the walls, vermin
| in the beds and rats, and that white
rats and gray rats played tag O.
nights about the cell floors. ! exam
ined the walls of Miss Burns's cell very
carefully, and found not a trace of
vermn.
Although Miss Burns is being forci-
bly, fed to break the hunger strike she
has undertaken, she looked quite as
we'll as when / saw her week and Il
I half ago.
Fairly we'll, thank you," she said,
and smiled.
"In spite of forcible feeding?"
"Yes, in spite of forcible feeding.
But" said, "they tell me you give
them all sorts Of trouble when they try
to feed you"
Would Prefer Soft Tube
: "Of course | do. do not want to be
/ fed, yet they pry open my mouth,
which hurts me a lot, and when they
get it open they insert a wedge 70
/ keep it open, while they run one OF
| those horrid, hard rubber tubes down
nv throat. | have asked them to fe ed
me with a soft tube, although ! much
prefer to be fed through the nose"
Ny courier de bastile, so to call him,
/ asked me where | would go next.
/ told him / wanted to see Miss Paul
"Come along" he said. Miss Paul
is in the hospital, in the same ward
with Miss Rose Winslow. You can see
and talk with her, too. if you like"
The cell ward in which | found the
two young women was about 10 by Il
feet or IA. There was ample room for
two cots and an unoccuped third one,
which may at times be used by nurse,
with plenty of moving space besides.
The room is lighted by two or three
large windows, the one at the head OF
Miss Paups bed being fully dropped
from the top. This fact is mentioned
because not long ago Miss raul
friends complained that she was not
permitted to have enough air. II the
windows in that ward are open enough
air can get in to supply a dozen or
more persons.
Reading Faust" in German
The Lead of the National Woman's
party, when | entered the ward, was
propped up by a pillow reading
Goethc's Faust in the original Ger
man. She had asked especially for
that masterpiece of the master OF
German verse, and Warden Zinkham
saw that she got it. The first impress
sion that Miss Paul's appearance gave
me was that of one of the Madonnas
Her dark brown hair, parted squarely
in the middle. fell straight down her
back. and over her temples. 1t was
entirely unconfined. She has the face
celtic, with large, deep-set
brown eyes and deep hollows in her
cheeks. If she weighs more than
ninety pounds appearances are decep-
tive.
"If you will, Miss Paul" said. 81
would so much like to have you, as the
head of the National Woman's party,
put that party on record as TO its atti-
tude regarding this war. Does the
party stand for pacifism or does it stand
by the nation in its need?"
The young woman looked at me ear
nestly and her eyes flashed as she re-
piled:
"The party has already put itself on
record. 1t is devoted entirely and sole
ly to the cause of woman suffrage and
to the passage of the Anthony amend
ment. We do not intend TO let any
other issue becloud that one. In the
party are both paciists and those who
are doing what they can to help the
country at war
"And how about yourself, Miss PAUL."
| inquired.
"Oh. detest war am a Quaker,
and Quakers have neither part nor lot
in wars
As was taking my leave asked the
frail- looking prisoner If she had any
fault to find with the treatment she
is receiving in Jail.
"Of course. I have" was the prompt
and somewhat vigorous reply, Miss
Winslow, in the adjoining cot, nodding
a vigorous approval Of the answer.
ave are not ordinary prisoners. We
are here because we stood quite stall
in front of the White House and held
banners inscribed with various gus
tions which we would like the Pre- 81
dent TO answer. Finding ourselves
here, we ask for no Injuries. but for
ordinary comforts, which we will gladly
supply at nobody's expense but our
own. We ask for books and periodicals
and newspapers We are denied then.
We ask TO see our friends. We are pro-
hibited from seeing them"
Then went 20 the mess hall. The
prisoners were taking supper. II CON
sisted Of noodle soup, white bread and
coffee. The coffee was good. The soup