New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-17
Jailed Picket
First a Fury
Then a. Martyr
To Her Jailer She Is One
Thing, to Herself
Another
Free Statement
Of Both Sides
Breaking Out the Windows
Was 1t for Air or
Deviltry?
By James Arthur Seavey

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1s.-A militant
member of the National Woman's party
in .jail-is no cooling dove. TINS
statement seems to be perfectly we'll
established By testimony that came to
nc this afternoon. 1t is pretty
strong indictment against the women
who have gone TO Jail here. What fol-
lows is authoritative. The giver Of the
testimony is one of the best known
LAWYERS in Washington. He said:
"All on earth these women desire is
publicity, and The New York Tribune
is about the only paper in the country
that is giving them what they want,
thereby not only giving them aid and
comfort, but helping them to raise the
devil in Washington. You know that
there are two sides TO every question
and, just as sure as you are foot
high, there are two sides to this one.
"Let US begin at the beginning.
When the first batch Of these militant
oomen were sent to OccoQuan they de-
oners. they refused to work, demanded
that they be permitted TO have special
food sept into them and refused to
wear prison clothes. The warden. or
superintendent, or whatever he IS
called down there, told them that he
didn't know anything about political
prisoners. The only kind he knew was
prisoner prisoners. He told them he
mad a commitment which turned them
over to his custody and that was all he
knew about II.
s1Now YOU know Just as well as any
body else that there have got to be
certain rules and regulations IN all
prisons or discipline cannot be main
tsined. These women said, in sub
stance. that they would be hanged IL
thew would do this. that and the other
thing, and proceeded to raise the very
devil.
"They yelled and catcalled and came
near producing young ROY especlaII!
amono the excitable female prisoners.
That - girl the name Of the young
woman was given tried to assault one
ri the female guards with an iron bar
cr some sort of an instrument when
She was able 10 lay her hands on, and
nrobsblv would have succeeded had not
one of the husky negro women lanGed
ON her with a left hook, or something
similar. Naturally, the warden or SUI
nerintendent established order as soon
"a nossible and locked the ringleaders
in cells. II he hadn't done so he
oughtn't TO be permitted to hold his
Job for a minute.
ssNow. what was the situation in the
District jail when the first OF them
we're sent there? They had hardly
more than got into their cells when
several of them unscrewed the electric
light bulbs and proceeded 70 throw
theno through the windows. When the
hubs were all used up they took of
their shoes-some of them dld-and
sent them after the bulbs. They fol-
lowed this up With such an internal
racket that they nearly drove the other
inmates of the Jail insane.
Charges Proven Fake
"Then they began to send from in
side the jail to their compatriots on
the outside frightful stories about jail
conditions, including sanitation ana
food. These tales were brought 70
the attention Of the District Commits
rioners, and one Of them, | don't know
which one, not only investigated the
Jail himself, but he got three Wash
ington physicians TO make an indie
pendent investigation, and they pro-
nounced the charges false.
mot satisfied with that, the Com
missioners got DR.. William A. White.
one Of the most eminent specialists
and physicians in Washington, to
visit the jail. The sufragists said
that DR.. White had been sent down to
examine Miss Alice Paul TO see if he
1s4fN e.
that her brain was twisted.
"He was sent down to do nothing Of
the kind. He was sent down 10 make
an independent examination Of Jail
conditions, discipline. sanitation and
food, in order that he might verify or
condemn the report Of the other physi-
clans who had gone there before him.
lie confirmed the report.
Furthermore, two women, whose
names | don't remember, seeing IN the
newspapers the early stories of the
alleged treatment these women had to
endure in our Jail and workhouse, were
sent here by a woman's organization
from another city to find out If the
stories were really true. After these
two women had made an examination
OF the Jail and had seen AMI talked
with Miss Paul and Miss Winslow. one
OF them, the spokeswoman. with tears
IN her eyes, said she was sorry Ia be
obliged TO feel that the suffragi It's were
not hewing close 20 the line Of truth.
No Gush In Charges, lie Says
There is no gush or mush 70 wha,
! have just told you, but cold facts. and
II Is not pleasant to make them public
but when so much rot and downright,
lies have been spouted about the gov
eminent Of the District and the admin.
istration Of its criminal instjtutions
its high time that publicity should be
given 70 the other side OF the cues.
ton"
The jails, like all other municipal
institutions IN the District Of Colum.
bia. are under the direction OF the
board Of commissioners Of the Distrie,
~ Columbia. or this board Loui,
brovnlow is the chairman and "
Guynn Gardiner and Brigadier Genera
John 9. d. knight, L. S. A.. retired
are the other two members. Commits
sioner Brownlow has been out of towr
for several days, and his work ha,
been taken over by Commissioner
Gardiner. / saw Commissioner Card
ner In his Office late this Afternoon
and asked him for verifcation o,
the alleged facts in the interview
printed above.
Commissioner Gardiner scowled, ther
.miled and said:
II do not care % discuss any phas,
o. this sufragist agitation. II woul,
1Hly invite more controversy and
have too much work 20 DO 20 indulge II
controversial ezercise"
IN the absence Of Miss Alice Paul
chairman Of the National Woman
psrty' WHO is on hunger strike m TN