Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-19

George r.. COOksey, assfwtant to ~
With respect to letter writing. they
were held strictly to the rule that all
letters must be short and Of q business
nature J. l. M.
Life at D. C. Workhouse
Found Far From Cheerful
by the Militant Pickets
oCcOQUAN. Va, July 1s.-Under con-
ditions approaching anything but cheer
and cornbread. partaken Of more per
functortly than with relish. the militant
pickets. unnerved by fearful interviews
with relatives and adjusting themselves
they had anticipated. were ready for bed
when taps sounded at 8 o'clock last night.
All day long they had turned deaf ears
to every suggestion that they ABANDON
posed upon them in Police Court. En-
treaties Of husbands and children were in
vain When they turned in for their
second night It was with every indication
that they would go through with their
determination to spend two months at
the p6nal farm.
As dusk gathered the colored inmates
Of the female department broke into
their customary song service. which is
permitted Immediately after the even
ing meal. The little group of pickets,
in an adjoining dormitory, listened to
the chanting of the tunes which, for
the most part. were old gospel hymns
Occasionally the monotony of the dole
full humming was broken by the moro
lively airs of phonograph record
played in nearby cottage occupied by
one Of the ofilcials Of the institution.
1t was nearly 8 o'clock when Mrs.
Minnie r. Herndon, assistant superin-
tendent and m2tron Of the female de-
partment, plainly showing the strain of
rienced in her i've years at the institu
ton. completed taking the records Of
the sixteen distinguished prisoners, a
procedure followed with every commit
ment. Answers were required to be
made to more than q hundred questions
relating to the personal history, home
training, education, social relations, re-
liRion and habits Of the inmates. With
this detail out of the way nothing was
left to be done but assign the women
house life.
All to Sew.
It was decided late yesterday after
the sewing room. Mrs. Herndon said
that this probably would not be a per-
manent arrangement, and that the
women would be given special tasks az
their aptitude for particular. kinds OF
auested outside work, such as picking
berries and looking after the lawn and
garden. 1t practically is certain the
REQUESTS will not be granted, princi-
considered too severe.
There was no disposition on the part
OF any OF tho pfckets last night to md
fault with tho treatment they were re-
ceivtng. They appeared to realize that
equal footing with the other female
prisoners. and that they would be
shown no favors. Both Supt. Whit
taker and Mrs. Herndown made plain
tho fact that no Partially would be
shown.
Request by q member OF Congress that
he be permitted to send the delegation
. box Of California fruit was denied,
Supt. Whitaker announcing that they
would be permitted to receive reading
matter only. He also stated that they
ether than husbands, mothers. fathers.
children, brothers. sisters and attor-
neys.
one of the rules Of the workhouse
10 that only letters Of brevity and
business import may be written. Yes
was given permission to write to
relative, but when It was discovered
that she was making the letter largely
descriptive Of the trip to Occcquan she
was Informed that the rule as to brew
ity must be obeyed.
Arise at $50 AM.
The prisoners were up at $40 o'clock
yesterday morning. After DOMINIC
their vorkhouse uniforms, consisting
Of gray, loose-nttins dresses. blue cot
%OAA Aot =
soied shoss, they marched in single file
to the dining room. The menu con-
sisted of hominy and gravy. wheat
bread, milk, coffee and blackberry JAM
Few Of the pickets gave evidence Of Be.
ing hungry and all OF them touched the
i0p Foilowins breakfast they were ex-
amined by the workhouse physician.
Dr.. Frank w. Hornbaker. after which
the taking OF their personal histories
bsxan- This was Interrupted At 10
o'clock when Sapt Whitaker permit
ted the entire delegation to go into
conference with representatives of the
National Woman's Party. headed by
Dudley Field Malone, who had arrived
from Washington by automobile.
Shortly after the national womau's
PARTY representatives had left for
Washington the husband and daughter
Of Mrs. Florence Bayard Hilles Of
washington drove up In an automobile.
There was q fearful scene, but Mrs.
Hilles would not consent to adopt one
OF the alternative courses open to her
and thus end her Imprisonment. Dur
tne the afternoon numerous kilograms
were received by me prisoners from
relatives and friends in many parts of
the country congratulating them on
| the stand they had taken.
Fortune in Jewelry.
Haatass several hundred dollars in
money, the pfckets turned over to the
Vorkhouse authorities jewelry valued
1t approximately $4,000. Several of
the more costly pieces. including a
| ten-thousand-dollar necklace owned by
Mrs. John Winters Brennan of New
York, were taken to Warrington by
Supt. Whitaker and deposited in
safety box in q bank.
Mrs. Brennan, who Is sixty-two yearA
old. IS the oldest of the prisoners, and
| Just recovering from an illness. She
expressed her determination to serve
the sentence Mrs Florence Walker.
whose husband and several children. Of
whom the youngest is said to be two