Evening star., 1926-05-09

" He, recent exploit of a member
OF The Star staff-Philip G.
Kauffmann--who deliberately
i had himself arrested, spent the
night in police precinct
station, and was sentenced by q judge
OF the Police Court to serve 10 days
in the District jail, in order to invasti-
gate, first hand, conditions therein,
recalls a similar adventure Of 81 years
ago. Then a young reporter, George
X. TIarries-now Maj, Gen. George
II. Harries had himself ''vagged''
and committed TO the workhouse, or
farm"
Gen. Harries, after leaving the serv
ice of The Star. was president Of the
Metropolitan street Railway Co.--now
a part OF the Washington Railway and
Electric Company's system--was sec
retary and later president OF the
Washington Board of Trade, for IS
years was commanding general OF the
District Of Columbia Militia, COM
manded the 1st y. c. Infantry, u. s.
Volunteers, in the War with Spain,
and was brigadier general in the
World War, being in command of
Base Section No. ), a. r. r.. with
headquarters at Brest, and, following
the armistice. was summoned to Spa
and was sent by Gen. Pershing to
Berlin, being the first American officer
to set foot in that city following the
cessation of hostilities. Gen. Harries
now holds commission as major
general Of the Officers Reserve Corps,
and is major general, retired, of the
District National Guard. He is vice
president Of the II. NJ. Byllesby Co,
municipal engineers, with headquar-
ters in Chicago.
The details Of the exploit OF Mr..
Kaufman only a few weeks ago, are
fresh in the minds of readers OF The
. Star. The results include general
better1nent of conditions and the In
PRODUCTION Of measures in Congress
providing for an addition to the jail
structure that will be modern and
up-to-date in equipment, in sanitation
and other features.
The details of the exploit Of Gen.
Harries are not now clear, even in the
mind of "the oldest reader" Of The
Star. for his arrest occurred Friday
evening, January 1S. 1889, and the
story Of his experiences, profusely H.
Illustrated with drawings by The Stars
artist. was published in the issue of
Saturday, January 26. 1889.
Bv a coincidence, after elapse Of
AZ wears. Mr.. Kaufman, when ar
rested, gave the same surname as did
Gen. Harries. The latter gave the
name "William II. Martin" to be en-
tered on the police records. Mr..
Kauffmann announced himself to be
"Pete Martin" Further In the way of
coincidence, reference to Gen. Harries
article shows an illustration Of a
character, then an inmate of the
workhouse, designated merely as
"Pete.'
The young reporter Harries. was
assigned to write the experiences OF
a "vag." arrested in the street and
sent to the workhouse, "as the state
ments Of ex-members of the chain
gang could not be fully trusted be-
cause of their tendency to exaggerate
small grievances, and as the descrip-
ttons given by officials were apt to
omit matters so trifiing as the stale
| ness of the bread served, the thinness
of the SOUP or the toughness of the
beef. In order to get the facts, the
reporter decided to go through the
exneriences of a "vag" himself to go
| bv the usual route, the police station.
the police van. the Police Court. the
van again and the workhouse-to don
the striped suit and to live with the
| prisoners in the workhouse.
So, on the evening of Friday, Jan
uary IS. 1889, about 9 o'clock. Report
er Harries. carefully made-up as q.
| tramp, proceeded to the reservation
| directly north Of Providence Hospital.
There he ''braced' several knen. relat'