The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-09-02
soldiers' Orphans HON.

at the city of Bloomington, OF charitable in
stitution to be called the Soldiers Orphans
Home, into which were to be gathered all the
children of deceased impecunious soldiers, to
be carefully educated and trained up for use
full citizenship. The building cost the state
some 100000, ard to supply it with profess
sors, tutors, presidents, managers, cooks, soul
hons, &C., entailed on the state an additional
expenditure of 100000 year. But, of
course, our people would not haggle about a
few hundred thousands spent on such ''no-
BILE charity"
The building duly erected and its corps of
officials and scullions organized, and reason
able number of orphans having been collected
together to enjoy the eleemosynary largess of
the state, things moved smoothly for year or
so, when, all at once, rsmors got afloat of bad
management somewhere. The Legislature
made appropriation after appropriation, and
still the concern was in debt. It cost the state
more to feed, clothe and educate an orphan
In his A C's at the Home than it would to
have sent him to Yale College. The thing
was marvellous to degree. Were not the
teachers, stewards, etc., persons eminent
for learning, 'piety'' and patriotism ~ Was
not the chief financial agent, in particular,
Colonel in the loyal army and noted for his
devotion to the principles of the radical par
tys The thing came to such pitch that the
Legislature finally sent committee to investi.
gate the matter, and, what is notable, there
were few honest men put on the committee.
The investigation occupied a month, and the
facts elected were something like these:
The chief trustee and financial manager of
the concern was one Colonel" John N. Sny.
der. Well, it was shown that all the money,
amounting to 100000 or more year, passed
through his hands; no account was kept by
him of money received or paid out; for many
sums paid out he had q dozen of duplicate
vouchers; many of his pretended vouchers
were unreceipted bills; many Of these were
proved to be his own private bills for groce.
ries, dry goods, etc. in short, after overhaul.
ing the matter Is best they could, it was clear
to the committee that said Snyder was
thief, and had stoten some fifty or sixty thou
sand dollars of the public money if not more.
So much for the financial management.
Next as to the moral tone of the manage
ment of the "noble charity"
We copy from the report Of the investiga-
ing committee:
Mr.. Beardsley, one of the trustees Of the
Home, on oath testified:
The Chairman: What position did Clark hold
in the institution
A. He was steward, appointed in 1869.
Q. Why was he discharged?
A. de was detected in improper liberties with
some of the little orphan girls-indecent libsr.
ties.
g: When charged with these offences, what
did he say?
A. He acknowledged their truth, but said tho
cases had been exaggerated as reported to the
board.
@. What action did the board take?
A. The board found that although he had
oesn criminal tho law would no probably reach
him. He was discharged; allowed to leave the
premises-he resigned.
@. Did the board come to the conclu sion that
his conviction would be doubtful
A. Yes, sir. The board was Of the opinion
that he would make his defense, and would GER
haps defeat the prosecution.
q, What would In your opinion have been the
effect upon the institution
A. We thought it would be bad. It would
have the effect of making the matter familiar to
the children and subject Of gossip every whsre.
q. Your failure to prosecute was in couss.
quence OF fear that the criminal could not be
reaohed2
A. Yes, sir; that is the fact.
Well, here are two scoundrels-one detected
In robbing the state treasury to the amount
of $4,000 or 100000; and the other in de.
bsuching and corrupting the little orphan
girls whose purity con6ding mothers had
committed to the state as tender, solemn
trust. OF course, Gov. Palmer had the one
sent to the penitentlary as q thief and the
other hanged IS q felon guilty of crimes which
even to name would be unlawful Not quite
The record closes thus: ....
"Gov. Palmer has compelled Col SNYDER to
RESIGN and has appointed D. d. Evans, Of
Vermillion County, in his place"
As to the beastly scsundrel Clark, 1--WE
DISCHARGED him!" 1--WE let him REs1oN!"
Without pretence of . prosecution with.
out even word Of reproef, these miserable
wretches are permitted to retire from their
positions and go abroad into the world to re.
peat their helish practices
The Succession.
Congressional candidates in this district