The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-08-02
THE PATERSON ALasSoUSE INVESTIGATION.

ExamiIation Of Witnesses Against tho Ac.
csssd-Inmates Testify - tho Cruelties Said
TO Have Been Practiscd in the Institution.
The investigation into the alleged Irregularities and
cruees practsed upon inmates OF the Patsrson IN J)
Almshouse BY Isaac j. sgler keeper of me Poorhouse
is still being proceeded with at the Court House in Pat
erson before the standing Committee on the Poor con-
sisting Of Aldermen Dean, Chairman Atchson Gurnee
0ren and Van Wnkle The AFFAIR attracts great atten-
ton among the citizens, and is gradually assuming q
bitter political phase This latter fact Is owing TO the
fact that democratic Journal was the first organ
Of that place which took up and made public
the alleged nsconsuct The frat expose was
made In one Of the New York Sunday papers,
the material havrog been furnished by it's Pater-
son correspondent From this sheet IL was reprinted
the Paterson Gwnddn, and the accused sgler has in.
situed proceedings in libel against Messrs vanderho
ven Webb. proprieors of that journal The examna.
ton OF WITH ses in the Poorhouse investigation Is being
conducted by John 8. Barkaow City Attorney on be.
half Of ehe city, aud s. futile for the defendant The
followiA az is the testimony taken on Wednesday,
JohA McGaw beng sworn deposed follows: Il was
an ic mate of the Poorhouse for awne went there in
the ALI year ago and came out this FAM live
Pat hrson am ninetyone years OF age; Mr. Sgler was
ke eper while ! was there O. State all you know
az to tho management of the Amshouse, the
and general care while you there A. The manage
ment was sometimes not very good; sometimes little
others not so good; they got some goldfish days
other days they got pork and on Sundays fresh meat
a. to quantity, it done well enough; cannot say as
to the rest; 1t was cold enough sometimes in winter
the clothing was only very middlng; somo Of it
taken from people who died in the Poorhouse; the bed
clothing was enough the general great
affair. @ Were you abused by Mr. Sgler while there
A. He never abused me; saw others abused while
was there; saw Mrs. Lebr beaten with many
time; the cane was thicker than my thumb. che in
one house, in another saw him beating her outside
the door; don't know what it was for; don't know
/ 10
she talked French, and don't know anything
about aDon. her TAX saw Nancy Doyle beaten once or
for; Nancy was at the otker house saw Enoch Wal.
low beaten many time, sometimes with his hand and
don't know what for, except what said; I saw him
deprived Of breakfast and dinner also OF the day
cannot tell how large It was; IL was kind Of sprg
or a rod he whipped them with; saw it many time
don't know what it was done for; saw no others
On being examined by q citizen the witness tMcGaw)
replied to the following enect:-Q Did the children
day. a. do mot know. Q Did you ever see
Mrs, Lehr punched in the ribs with q cane' A.
be locked up the cellar without food for twenyour
hours? A. knew her DO locked up for twentv-four
hours without food but it wasn't in the cellar; it
break sticks on her back9 A. Yes saw il once or
twice; he gave hor punch the bridge going away;
where he locked her up. O. Do you believe that Mrs.
Lehr r, knew where she was goingp A. could not tell
was locked up for twenty -four hours-to give her some
bread and waterf A Yes did and he bid IN ind
own .t busns s DID you &c: Mr. sgle punch
G. WHAT With A. A stick: ho punished her in the
breast, and struck her well with it, too @ What kind
did he punch her with that stick A. More than once
Did you ever see bruises on Mary Healey ,hers9 A.
where the hair had been pulled out Of the side
Of her head9 A. Yes, she showed il to Q Did you
ever know children to be locked up there without food
a. null NIT
actiy tell how many hours he said he would keep them
there twenty four hours, but believe he let them
any food; and il go did you do it unknown TO Mr.
SigIer9 A. did, and thought it no SIM either
II was not very good O. Was the butter made on
the placer A. guess not; it was bad butter @ Was
II SO offensive at times that you hado scrape or your
breadY A. Well, 1t bad could be- II could be
no worse. @ Was there any distinction made between
sick persons and those who In health regard
better than ours-from their own table. Q. Do You
know OF any sick person except Mr. Thompson who was
another man Q. We're those persons mentioned favor.
ties Of Mr. ssler' A. Not that know Of; they were
Mr. Tute, counsel to the accused then proceeded to
witness and ELECTED the following testimony:-Q. In
what year were you born A. cannot toll you unless
land. Q How long have you lived in Paterson ? A.
suppose going on twenty six years Q. When did you
came; this is my second timo. @ How old were yoa
when you first came3 A. That 10 moro than tell
" leave AlmSnOueof A.
O. How did you come to ieavef A. They were watering
the blind mems tea-Jimmy O'Ncls, John Archer's
and an, Enoch'sj ! saw him putting water in their
out Of the kettle and called it tea Is that the rea
SON. and the only reason why you leftf A. told Mr.
and the next day the tea came got my served the
same way; Mr. sigler ordered me over the bridge and
from the xmshcuse Yes What se1 did You So a ssas
you away forf A. I don't know unless, maybe, 1
knew too much @ We're you not accused Of bad con-
son to little girls living at tho Almshousef A. He
always did II, to little and big. Question repeated.
S' De y6a not ss' tn : ab DID
At , the Almshouse said You did III A. No
what s was the name Of that yonng man' A. They
sger said that you did that that he ordered you over
The bridgef A. No, IL was not that O. How long was
A. He came over the night before and told me l had
better go over the bridge and the next morning he
o leave the Almsnouse9 A. He ala O How far w ss
you from Mr. sglor when he beat Mrs. LohrY A. One
lime about as far as from this TO the other side
whipped Mrs iehry ScaSse shS w snn S5
10 what he required of herS A. do not.
i the persons whom you say you saw him whipY
A. ! cannot tell Q Did he whip them for cause
suppose he had some cause, or he would not have
whipped them, q. Did you not, while at the Aims
louse consider necessary sometimes to whip persons
here to compel obcdience and preserve good order
hem deserved IL but they did not ali deserve IL who got
he whipping @ What had Mary Healey been doing
when Mr. Sicer pulled her hair-she had black eve as
ou say A. was not there but wen, in after and she
nth some one OF the inmates Of the house She
old me %. O. With ~homf A. They called her
fairy Ann; don't Know the rest Of her name
Did she tell you Mr. sislcr whippei
cr for hghtingf A. No, she did not O. Was ii at
BIO same time she had the black eye that told you
DO bad boon 1ghtiugl A. Yes; abe sad Mr. siger had
eat her. q When Mr.. sgler punched Mrs Lehr, THAT
rss he trying to make her dor He fe,chln g her
aok from the bridge, where she was on the way to
ave Q Did Mrs. Iehr refuse to RETURN A. No, 1
i'd not see her refuse. @ Were you near enough 20
ear her refuse 10 shc had done SOY A. was beside
i'm at the time. q Did Mrs Lehr walk willingly
ach A. saw her walking willingly before him and him
eating her with stick and punching her q 10 You
nowwhy Mr.. sgler punched Mary DoyleS A. Ican'l tell
Did you, while at the Amshousc, punch anybody |
II anybody touched mo / struck him back. Question
spcsted. A. Yes, i dill. q How many persons did |
GU punch thereY A. one 9 Who the person |
HON yen punched A. That's my business and no |
nos else. o. Was II a man q woman? A. Didn't / |
", yop that my businessS G Was that person in
me or not A. / cannot tell whether he was or not
Was the person at the time unGer your al the
lmshouseS A. No q Was 10 In thc absence OF Mr. Sig
= that " was done A. Mr. sgler there: l |
pt one house and he another u Why dc you refuse |
A foll wi M tvraa A 4