Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-09-13


cred With vermin.
The Philadelphia Bulletin recently made
some charges agaus. the management Of
the insane department Of the Delaware
county almshouse, which caused meet
ing Of prominent citizens of that county
Vt the Institution who resolved themselves
into q sort Of Indignation meeting, and de-
clared not merely that the institatlon was
in "ths best Of condition, but that tho
condition of affairs limited at by the
Bulletin, nsvsr had seisted.
The Bullefin, thus given the lie direct,
comes out on Saturday with dehnlta
and positive statement of what 1t knows
about the matter, based upon the sVldencs
~ several gentlemen Of the highest In
tegriiy, who have, separately or logetheS
visited the institution in February, March
and July Of the present year. We extract
the following;
In February last visit was paid TO thia
slmshouse, and an Insane inmate was
seen, a young woman over twenty years
Of age, whose whole dress consisted OF .
thin chemise with short sleeves, single
skirt aud a pair Of shoes When brought
before the visitors a borrowed cloak was
thrown over her shoulders. She was blue
with cold and utterly filthy In person.
Her cell had the appearance o. having
undergone recent hasty washing, but
was pervaded by an odor loathsome In
the extreme. On the day Of this visit the
thermometer in Philadelphia fell 10 IA
degrees.
In March another visit was paid 10 the
institution by several gentlemen, In a
body. Only one portion of the building
was visited, which is supposed to be do
voted exclusively to women. In one cell
was young woman, the one already
referred to. Her cell was without any
furniture whatever her bed consisted OF
one blanket; Ter clothing ragged
chemise, open to her waist, and one
scanty skirt, and a pair of shoes' she
was indescribably unelean, and alive with
vermin. Her cell reeked NTH s1ekessiH2
odor, the result of total absence OF AL
couvenlences for cleanliness. She shiV-
,red with cold while In the presence OF
her visitors. the thermometer standing 81
the time several degrees beloi1 ne freezing
poiHt
Opposite to the cell which we have very
| family described was another. The short
dAy had already faded into dusk, and as
the light was thrown through the little
aperture in the door, It fell upon two
| aretrhed women. both Of whom were
absolutely pithou, siigls garment TO eovsr
them Ons Of the poor creatures sat
crtsIchlIg In the corner, with a small
niau ksi arAwn across her shoulders, while
,te other was ciAwliDg on all-fours Oh the
dnor, vithout even this poor apology for
any remnant Of human decency There
vas not O. particle of furniture In the
reli, ard there, on this wlntry March
night, in an atmosphere which the Wit
nes-ts decliyp 10 Il We Ueen utterly horrl-
tle, we're th,set Ii Inan beings, DrouRnt
down far below The level Of our domestic
h,utes. This Is what Judge Hinkson and
Mr. Walter call ga credit and an honor
to Delaware county" This is the " fuu
and clear apprehension Of the DIRECTORY
duties"
In an adjoining cell, the visitors found
a man, lyiug on an Old mattress, the oru
lslsn Of furniture which they saw In either
e of the rooms inspected. They were In
formed that the inmate was weman
but uipn one of the gontle.Lan calling 70
him he sat mp, and 1t vas seen that II was
a man. TIC attendant, with seme confu
sion, explained that "ho mus. have heot
brought in while he was nTay
Judge Hinkson and nc friends hava
declared that not on'y Fas there no
yiiiated atmosrherr in this almshonse
but "thero ney sr haa becn." One OF the
gentlemen. to whom hum91'tv Indebted
] for TINS exposlrs, tAgs NEIea 70 ua .
3 .. We fou. ..- l.unuie Insane department
in shocking condition so bad that Il
4 would be impossible 10 give description
J OF the place on PAPER. In come eells
q there were TWO or more women confined,
n some without any clothing, lying on the
Il floor without mattress, carpet, or any
B. thing else, except an old government
q blanket. The place had hSrriole
= putrld udor'
4 We examined one woman who wal
o quie young. / was afraid to go neal
IL her. as she seemed covered with vermm
e We were all much shocked by the visit
b, aud think shall remember II as lont
VI as live." -,
d We could give other details Of the dis
r. r,1,tint personal condition of the unhappy
d inmate, of this place, but il is needless.
X In July, the Institution was agail
&, visited, and an improvement was percep
[. tible. This was undoubtedly due TO
"A visit from the Grand Jury Of the county
at which had taken place In the interval
is But the rank, foul odor still pervaded tn
o. cells, the result Of long neglect, and on
e. If the gentlemen, professionally iamuls
O. with me effects Cf foul smells, declare
a that a half hour In one of those cell
a would bo enough TO breed typhoid fevel
al What has been done recently to purlf
he this place we do not know. Gentleme
I'd who went there, after the exposure ha
ot been made, and public attention ha
ey been excited, mas have found everythin
he as it should be. But they should haN
Ie. been less hasty to rush into denial
Is ahat has been. Every word that
he have said on the subject is plain, u
elf vanished truth, susceptible OF VI
IN fullest proof, by the testimony OF sever
zee uuimpeachable witnesses. ii the sla'
10 ment errs at all, II is rather on the eli
IN. OF suppression than of exaggeration.