The Washington times., 1922-08-23
DISTRICT JAIL
RUMSOURCE IS
Still MYSTERY
Officials and Police Unable to
Find Out Where Trus-
toes Get Liquor.

Who supplies liquor to the
TRUSTEES of the District jail?
Police and officials of the Jail
today are cooperating in an ef-
fort to locate the person or per-
sons who furnished liquor to John
Hanson, trusty at the Institution,
found drunk several days ago on
the grounds of the Washington
Asylum Hospital, adjoining the
prison.
PeaIse Is Puzzled.
II have been trying for three
months to find where this liquor
comes from, but / have been un-
successful" declared Capt. w. L,
Peake, superintendent of the Jail.
Search OF the woods near the Jail
and the river front several weeks
ago failed to disclose a still or liquor
cache which, according to runnor,
was near the buildings.
I'VE have run down numbers Of
tips, but without success" sad
Capt Peake. II believe the liquor Is
furnished the TRUSTEES by the
orderlies at the hospital
Each day thirty or forty prisoners
liit lnIl tC <ApbABuCu " uO HknN
work in the Washington Asylumn
Hospital. Some act as orderiies, as
sisting the paid orderlies, others as
! telephone operators and many do
work about the grounds.
MY guard force is not Of suf-
ficient strength to permit me to as
sign man to watch these prisoners
all day. Most of them are ten and
fifteen-day men and there is little or
no danger of them attempting TO
escape Even IL was able to assign
q. guard 20 watch them one guard
would be insufficient. 1t would take
three or four men to watch them
properly.
Men Placed on Honor.
"In sending these men to the
hospital am following orders from
my superiors. These men are placed
on their honor when they leave the
| jail.
"All day they mingle with the
orderlies and believe the orderlies
give them liquor. ] am convinced
none Of the TRUSTEES has ever bought
liquor near here. for none OF them
are allowed to keep more than 81
or 80 in their pocket at one time.
About once every two months
we find that one OF the TRUSTEES
has been drinking. He is immediate.
ly sent to Occoquan to compete his
1 sentence.
Several months ago Captain Peake
| found that several of the TRUSTEES
had been drinking. He sent them
| to Occoquan and then started an
investigation. Police of the Fifth
precinct aided Captain Peake, but
so far the source of the liquor
supply has not been found.
A rumor was afloat several months
ago that liquor could be found in
one OF the abandoned buildings near
the Jail. Jail officials searched the
buildings, but found no liquor.
Another report was that liquor was
being brought into the hospital every
Sunday by a man supposed to be 2
bootiegger was investigated. Police
laid trap for the man for the Sun
day following. The man never show
ed up.
John Hanson, the man who was
found drunk on the hospital grounds,
was sent to the jail to serve thirty
five day sentence for drunkenness
and disorderiy conduct. A friend
came to visit him several days later
and found him drunk on the grounds.
I1duEOti, " us HdAi
pint bottle of wine. partially
filled.
Claimed He Found II.
"As soon as got word that
Hanson had been drinking ] sum
moned him to my office" said Cap
tain Peake. "He braced up a bit
when he came in and did not appear
to be drunk. However, l am sure
he was drinking endeavored to
learn from him where he got his
liquor and he said he kicked II out
of the grass OF course. this is
absurd.
However, thought that possibly
there may have been liquor hidden
in the bushes. We searched all over
the grounds, but found nothing"
The Board of Charities II looking
into John Hanson's case Hanson,
who lives at 235 Massachusetts ave.
nue. northwest, has been sent to Oc.
coquan to complete his set sentence.
No action will likely be taken by
the board until George S. Wilson,
secretary who is absent from the
city. returns, according to Miss
40