The Washington times., 1922-01-23
|0CCOQUANHEAD
IS ASsAILED By
budding
Warden Meyers Administration
Also Scored by others--In-
quiry Is Planned.

william H. Meyer. superintendent
y: District penal institutions. Is not
making the success at Occoqusn he
was supposed to make when ne was
appointed. according to reports that
have reached the District officials.
Many complaints Of Encouragement
II the workhouse ut occoquan have
come to light recently. and Senator
Davis Elkins OF West Virginia. a
member OF the Senate District Com
niittee. has taken the matter up with
Commissioner Cuno H. Rudolph.
4 Commissioner Rudolph said yester-
day that he had asked the police to
try and locate Henry A. Starr, former
Washington policeman, who has just
teen released from the workhouse
after serving q term there, Starr,
after his release, nayed the admin
tstration OF the penal Institution and
the Commissioner wants to get his
personal version OF the situation.
Petition Is Circulated.
A petition IL being circulated among
the farmers in the vicinity of the
workhouse at occoquan. asking the
Virginia State Legislature to have the
workhouse declared q menace to the
State and force the District to move
Il elsewhere. The number Of recent
escapes from the institution, residents
tlaim. Is q danger TO the farmers and
their families. VAL.
Last week several prisoners eseap-
ed and one, Grafton Wallace. colored.
twenty-five years old who was serv-
Ing term for assault. was captured
after gaining his liberty. While
being returned to the institution. II
Is charged. he attacked the guard
who was bringing him back. and
after forcing the automobile In which
they were riding into swamp on
the side of the road. attempted to
get the revolver of the guard. In
the tussie he was shot in the face
and badly wounded.
1t is the presence OF such desper.
ate criminals on the road the farm.
ers complain that is a great menace
to them and their~families.
DIR. f. e. budding. president of
the Prisoners Relief Society of<the
District, has made several charges
against the management of the penal
institutions under Mr.. Meyer.
Attacked by Duodtng.
"Mr. Meyer has failed at every
prison he has had charge of for the
past fourteen years." DIR. budding
from Occoluan In thirty days, he
says. Thirty.five prisoners escaped
also charges, due to lax management.
and reports have been received by
him that the guards were drunk and
that they beat prisoners without provo
cation.
budding cites Meyers record as
warden Of the penitentiary at Sing
Sing. Atlanta. and in Kentucky.
Meyer Is a fad and at the same
time he il a faddist," says budding.
"He Is a pet of the pink tea set. He
has failed for lack Of discipline. He
is not q leader Of men. There IL
no discipline In the prison. but high
handed methods are being used by
the Welfare League. There has been
rioting. have been told. and they
had to send to the reformatory at
Lorton to get guards to quell the
trouble.
Discipline broadens men. Lack
Of discipline breeds impotence. I
know this. for I have been In prison
and have observed and experienced
the effects Of discipline on myself
and my fellow.prisoners. A prison.
er's worst enemy IL another prisoner.
Meyers theory Is bad: the morale of
the prisoners under him bad; his sys.
tenn is based on false theory"
Under Charities Board.
The workhouse and the reformatory
at Lorton Is under the supervision of
the Board Of Charities, and does not
como directly under the District Com
nsisioners. although they handle the
appropriations given by Congress for
the conduct Of the place.
Commissioner Rudolph said yester.
cay that the Occoquan problem was
directly up to the Board Of Charities
and that the District Commissioners
were keeping hands off. although he
said he wanted to get at the facts in
the case.