Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-12-16
ID s[For the Joarnal.l
The County Poor House.

Nh. MAHIN Sin the Wsskly Journal Of
YESTERDAY perceive ON article from Mr..
Jacob Bumgardner in reply to "Justice,' -
which / should not notice Gas am content
with tho discharge Of my duty as a Grand
,Juror and content to let our presenttn ent
speak for itselG) were it not for misstate-
ment contained in Mr.. Bumgardner's article.
He saws Gas for the report Of the Grand
jury, it is somewhat singular to mo that
thew came to the conclusion they did after
stating that there was no complaint made
nor any evidence before them in regard to
the matter" This is to say the least a
mjstatement. Mr.. Bumgardner came before
the committee of the Grand Jury on the
day the psessntment was made and laid be-
fore US a batch Of af6davits taken before
ESQ. McGrew, relating chiefly to the case
of Mrs. Hopkins, paupsr who died at t Q
poor house short time before, and to tho
manner id which the house was kept, as to
cleanliness and to the feeding of the pau
pers. said to. Mr.. Bumgardner that the
committee had not been able to trace any
of the stories afioat with regard to the al
legged neglect of Mrs. Hopkins to any re-
eponsibis source and that there was no evil
dence before US to prove that the complaint
or stories with regard to her case were true.
Mr.. Bumgardner seemed very solicitous to
get an ex position of opinion with regard to
how we found tho house as respected cleanli-
ness. Although we'll satisfied Individually
how that matter stood, especially after perus.
ing his afidavits and seeing that those who
had testified in tn snatter were called there
on purpose to zee how neat things were
kept, (s way in which any slattern can be
proved q paragon Of neatness,) / answered
In behalf of the committee that there was
no complaint about that and we did not
propose to say anything about it.
With regard to Mr.. Bumgardner's asser-
tion, that the report was made without
particle of proof to sustain it, all l have to
say is that if Mr.. Bumgardner is ever tried
for murder and the charge is proved as
clearly as the facts set forth in the present.
ment of the Grand Jury he will be lucky if he
don't get hung will here say that was
not fully satisfied with the presentment.-
All the evidence, and it was ample, went
to show that that the paupers were we II fed,
therefore, the wording of the presentment
limiting that evidence to our own obserya-
ton was unjust to him. Further have no
conscientious seruples that forbid me from
saying in so many words that man is not
a sober, temperate man, when the evidence
is clear that such is the fact and after pre-
senting Q man as s'irritable and violent"
and "hard and severe," in his treatment of
paupers, / would not. if could have had
my way, have covered up all allusion to his
habits under the phraze ''in some other re
spects, )" and left people to infer much or
nothing, but would have stated explicitly
alt the facts proved and let it went at that.
l wish we'll, to Mr.. Bumgardne and believe
he will be useful man in his proper place,
but cannot endorse the opinion of his friend
ESQ. McGrew, that he it just the man for
Super;ntendent Of the poor house because
he is prompt and energetic, and if the pau
pers are insolent and need chastisement he
will infict it, or that he is better fitted
for the post because whau he is pretty drunk
the amiability of his temper is improved
am so old fogyish in my notions and so far
behind the times As to think different kind
of qualification is required to fit man to
take charge Of the poor, the defenseless and
the dependent, or to act the part of a
sister of charity, from what lie required to fit
him for leading folorn hope in battle or to
be popular overseer on southern planta-
tion. may be singular in this, but Sc it is.
Excuse me for trespassing on your space,
but justice to myself, to the Grand Jury
and to the interests of humanity, think,
required me to say this much, and under no
Circumstance shall add anything more.
Dec. 10th, 1859. JoHN W. JAYNE.